


Inheritance

by mallow87



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-17 08:10:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 24,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11271537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mallow87/pseuds/mallow87
Summary: Mac receives a life altering phone call from her Sinclair roots. Summer post-season 3.





	1. Chapter 1

"Holy frakk?!" Shell shocked, Mac closes her flip-phone. Logan glances over at her. Twenty minutes into their website expansion meeting he has managed to resist asking about Veronica but he can't let this pass. "What's going on?" Mac turns to face him. "My grandfather died." She says blankly. "I'm sorry." He tries not to let the relief sweep into his voice. "Yeah, not my grandpa. My…biological grandfather. I didn't know him. I'm kind of adopted." "What's kind of adopted?" Mac's head jerks quickly toward the blonde at the end of the couch. She'd forgotten Dick was there after 10 minutes without a lewd comment. It seems unnatural for him to be indoors at the height of summer. "I…was…am…don't worry about it Dick." Dick simply shrugs and leans back. "Are you okay?" Shaking her head, it just falls out. "I just inherited forty million dollars." She sinks into her seat as Dick bursts into laughter. "Welcome to the useless rich." Logan says with a sympathetic smirk. "Don't worry Mackie, we'll show you how to live." Mac gives in to a light chuckle as she shakes her head.

Fast forward two weeks. Mac, Dick and Logan stand in front of duplex on the beach. "I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this." The shaggy haired blonde scoffs comically. "Talk you into this? This was all your idea." At Mac's challenging look, Dick continues. "Yeah, you're the one who said buying would be a better investment." "What I think I said was that it's ridiculous for you two to have all this money and waste it on living at the Grand." "Exactly." Dick smiles brightly as though she has whole heartedly agreed to his point. Mac smiles and looks down for half a second. "It is beautiful." "And will have unparalleled internet speeds." Dick throws in. Logan can't help throwing on, "Plus, dorms are for the lowly, which you no longer are." "Yes, my exalted status demands two bathrooms and a balcony." After an extended pause, she relents. "Alright gentlemen, enough of the salesman shtick. Let's look inside." Logan opens the orange door to Mac's potential new home with a flourish. She walks in alone as the guys look into their side of the house. Hardwoods opening up into a wall of windows drinking in the ocean view. A quick search reveals one of the bathrooms and bedrooms are on the bottom level. Upstairs' vaulted wood ceiling and balcony with a palm tree sweeping to the right gave it an adult treehouse feel. Mac beams as she steps out. "You love it." Dick says from the other side of the shared balcony. Mac attempts to hide her enthusiasm but it just comes out as a frown-smile, which only makes Dick's smile widen. "I may be coming around." "Logan!" Dick shouts towards the open glass door. "Get out here. We're going to have a beach pad!" Logan closes his phone as he walks out. "Of course we are. The realtor will be in 20 minutes with the final paperwork and champagne. With possession directly following." Mac lets out a near noiseless laugh. This confidence in wealth had always tweaked Veronica but Mac feels swept away with the excitement of not having to share a bathroom with a floor full of people. Dick picks her up and swings her around. "Dick put me down." She says in a more serious tone. She finds being this close to Dick uncomfortable or rather uncomfortable that it's not. "Balcony campout tonight!" Dick declares as he sets her down gently. Logan glances at Mac for her feelings. "After we sign papers I'll run by my parent's house for supplies." "Don't worry about it Mackie, we'll just buy it. You can afford to buy one use stuff." "Surprisingly, I don't plan to watch a million dollars disappear into outdoor gear." "Beav was gonna take over the world with his trust fund." Dick says lightly. The colour drains from the moment as all smiles disappear. A loud knock startles them out of it. Logan lets the realtor in and they sign the papers, deciding to save the champagne for later.

Afterward Mac heads for her car. "Hold up Mackie." Dick says as he jogs up. "I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable by mentioning…you know. Please don't go back to hating me." "I don't hate you, Dick. I just…" Mac crosses her arms, leans back onto her car and avoids eye contact. "I just have spent a year putting all of that behind me. I've really moved forward and that's where I want to keep going." She exhaled as she finally looked at him. "Fair enough." He nods solemnly before jumping around her to hop in the green car. Not the reaction she was expecting, if she even had an idea as to what she thought he'd do. "What are you doing?" "Helping you get camping supplies." Dick states as though it's obvious. Mac climbs in and starts the car. "I was hoping to do it without my patents noticing. You know, just leave a note. I haven't exactly told them about the money." "Don't worry, Macksters. I can help you pull a Veronica." They both smile and take off.

When they pull up Mac sees Ryan's babysitter's car parked outside. That means the front door is out unless they want to get sucked into childcare for the rest of the day. "Come on, we have to sneak in through my window." Mac says whilst comically low in her seat, eyes on the house. "I didn't really think we'd be going full Bond, but I'm down. Is this the kind of stuff you do with Veronica?" Mac notices her ridiculous position and sits up a bit. "Maybe." She response archly, taking herself a little by surprise. "Let's do it then." Dick says enthusiastically as he jumps out of the car. Outside of her window, she grabs a hidden piece of metal and opens it. "Break into your own place much?" Mac glances over and back. "I needed a break from the constant concern last summer. Leaving always meant a barrage of questions. I don't know where they thought I was going." Mac begins to climb in, Dick helping. Before Mac can say anything about the unnecessary waist holding, Dick replies. "At least you had people wanting to know how you were handling things." He climbs in after her, whispering this time to maintain stealth. "Even Logan didn't check up on me." Mac actually frowns. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." "Yeah, well. You had enough to think about." Dick shrugs it off. "So how do we get into the garage from here?" After Mac explains her room being the only one on the same side of house as the garage, they sneak there quietly. Once the door closes they set to work gathering sleeping bags, lanterns and the like. Mac writes a quick note and leaves it on the door that lead back into the house. Dick tries to ninja roll beneath the barely opened garage door whilst holding the sleeping bags.

Logan's happy the mood has brightened when they walk back in. Mac is laughing near hysterically at some story Dick is telling her about him and technology. "Dude, s'mores? You're the best mom ever!" "I don't know, wife number two let us stay up all night eating junk food." "More like, she was out sleeping with her "fitness coach." Both guys smile, Mac looks disturbed. "Come on, Mac. I've seen the Fitzgerald on your dorm shelves. You know the very rich are different. 'Cynical where we are trustful.'" Logan says playfully. He grabs a bottle and some glasses as they all move out onto the balcony. "Yes, I recall something about your people being soft instead of hard. Being born that way." Mac says back with a teasing smile. She takes her glass and takes a drink. "Jokes on you then, Mackster." Dick contributes. At her questioning expression he continues. "You seem to have been born the same way. Inherit massive wealth recently?" Mac can tell that they are both waiting for an answer, probably have been since the phone call. "I'm going to need to get significantly more inebriated before having that conversation." She says jokingly before downing her champagne bowl. "My biological grandfather apparently never felt right about the circumstances of my adoption and therefore left me a significant portion of his estate. At least that's what his lawyer told me over the phone." Logan lifts his glass. "To the infinite complexities of families." They clinked glasses and took a long drink. "Forget all this introspection. Here's to our new house." Dick raises his glass and is met with enthusiasm by the other two.

The next few hours are spent laughing, making s'mores over the fire pit and laughing, lots of laughing. Dick is sprawled out asleep. Mac looks over at Logan and back at the fire before she speaks. "Ask." He looks over at her. "What?" "About Veronica. Ask. I know you've been barely holding it back. Just ask." Logan takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Is she coming home?" Mac thinks about how her mom would try to comfort, to sugarcoat it. But Logan deserves the truth. "I don't know." Logan nods as he stares into the fire a minute before speaking. "I can't blame her. If I could get away from me, I probably would." Mac fixes a hard look on him. "Logan." He looks up, surprised at her sudden firmness. "You know that's not why she left." "I don't know that," He says matching her. "And neither do you." Veronica Mars, the one person that connects them all but who has left them all behind. Mac understands mostly, Logan however just feels her lack. "Well, we'll see after her FBI internship is over." Mac states not wanting to have to dwell on it anymore. "Have you registered for classes yet?" "I thought I might tomorrow," he response. "Respectable homeowner, responsible academic," Mac lifts an imaginary glass to toast him. "Clink." "Dude! Go to sleep and stop hitting on your ex's best friend." "Why, getting jealous Dick?" Mac shoots back with a grin. Logan laughs when Dick is speechless for a minutes, sleepily grumbles and whips the sleeping bag back over is head.

_**"Useless rich" is a reference to a G.B. Shaw quote_


	2. Chapter 2

[Flashback sometime post Piz beat down and Parker & Veronica confronting Logan, pre-Gory beat down]

"Doesn't some girl code dictate you hate me?" Logan says as he holds his suite door open. Sarcasm and pretending not to care—always fun hallmarks of a hurt Logan Echolls. "Actually, I was here to pick up my check." Mac states lifting her eyebrows and a frown-smiling. "You sent a text." Logan grudgingly opens the door wide allowing her entry. Mac immediately sees enough alcohol set for an epic drowning of sorrows. "Find something to write home about?" Logan challenges cavalierly. Mac looks up at him, expression tired. She pops open the Templeton, pours two small glasses and holds one out to Logan. They both sit on the white couch and take a sip, his lasting a bit longer than hers. "You tried." Mac offers looking into her glass. "You were good to Parker, sweet even. You tried to move on but you just weren't ready." She looks at him, eyes meeting evenly. "I can't fault you for that." His brown eyes soften and his whole body relaxes a bit. Logan is moved by someone giving him the benefit of the doubt. Even the woman he loves never seems to do that. He breaks eye contact as he clears his throat and nods. "Thanks."

They spend the rest of the afternoon playing video games, the one glass of rye whiskey their only drink. Dick walks in expecting the death and destruction that is Veronica Mars-induced heartbreak. Instead he slips in unnoticed to Logan and Mac laughing and grading Super Mario characters based off their website's criteria. "Okay, but we do The Legend of Zelda next." He inserts himself into the conversation and onto the couch, expecting Mac to cringe at his presence and escape. He hasn't seen her since he apologized and semi-drunkenly attempted to kiss her. But Mac just launches into her rating on Biggoron.

And that's how the rest of May and June were spent, Mac and Logan turning website meetings into hanging out. Often Dick would show up and magically, it seemed to Mac, they would be at the beach. Mac would have scoffed at the California summer dream sequence had she not been enjoying it so much. Plus, with Veronica, Parker and Wallace gone there was a bit of an empty friendship shaped hole. As for Logan, he had always liked Mac and she was turning into a real friend. She could discuss Thackeray intelligently or kill at Mario Cart. He worked hard to never ask her about the absent blonde detective. Dick spent a good amount of time with his soon-to-be incarcerated father and Mac always seemed to make him feel like he didn't have to be swallowed whole by all of that. He was finally starting to heal.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Mac wakes up slowly to the smell of coffee and the sound of Logan mumbling in his sleep. Dick is standing in the kitchen brewing coffee. Mac walks through the open glass door. "I think we need to go shopping." Mac says as she looks at the old coffeemaker that came with the guys' place. Dick looks up with a smile, "So long as the trip involves food. This place is bare." They move over to the edge of the large balcony with their coffee, feet dangling off. "Do you have dad stuff today?" Mac asks. "No, he's entered his no-women-for-a-year phase and is trying to wear himself out before prison next month." They sit in comfortable silence, drinking their coffee and taking in the view of the Pacific. "I'm glad I didn't go to South America to surf though." Dick says after a bit, he shakes his hair out of his eyes. "Being around him has really shown me how empty he is. I used to idolize him. But he's really just the jerk who couldn't even show up for his son's funeral." He glances over at Mac. "I went out there last summer you know, to the Caymans, he wasn't even there. He'd moved on without a word." The silence that follows feels very raw. Mac stares at the back of his head from her leaned back position. Mac feels like she owes him a truth. "Please say there is coffee." Logan calls out groggily.

They grab food from a nearby café and fill Logan in on the plan for the day. They drive Logan's black SUV to Pan where the big box stores are. "Beds might be a good idea first." Mac states as they stand momentarily overwhelmed just inside an outsized furniture store. That seems to snap Logan out of it. "Camping was fun, but sleeping on the ground is clearly intended for peasants." He says as he heads to that department. They flop around, trying out most of the beds. "Let's buys them all." Dick says dreamily as they lay in three nearby beds. "We can cover every square foot with pillow-top comfort." Mac says with a large, dimpled smile. They all pick out their favourite, despite the lure of an adult bounce house. "Why the two mattresses?" Logan tries to ask innocently. Mac raises an eyebrow. "For a potential roommate." Is all she gives him before heading over to living room furniture.

End of day, their places are outfitted with all the essentials and they sit out on the balcony waiting for their takeout. Logan and Mac are on their laptops registering for classes. "We should all take a class together." Logan suggests. "Weight lifting?" Mac asks with a hint of sarcasm. "I was thinking Gangs and the Media, as an ode to Weevil." "Ah, yes. An ode to Eli that just happens to be a required class for criminology students." She gives him a frown smile. "It could be interesting?" He offers. "What could be interesting?" Dick says as he comes back with their food. "We're all going to take Gangs and the Media together." Mac tells him. Logan smiles. "I wonder if they'll have a unit on that bald guy from high school." Dick responds. "This is why I keep you around Dick! This is why I keep you around." Logan says as he high fives Dick. Mac laughs.

The next week is spent settling into the house. Dick walks up to Mac's open glass door from the balcony and hesitates. Mac is standing staring at a small pile of books by a blank wall. He knocks on the doorframe. "Everything cool?" "Yeah." She says unconvincingly as she continues her fixation. "Are the books about to do something?" He jokingly whispers as he walks up behind her. He sees unshed tears in her eyes. "Whoa, Macksters. What's going on?" She blinks away the moisture, drops her gaze and looks up at him. "I don't have my books, I have nowhere to put them." "I do remember seeing these things called shelves at the store…" Dick ends it like a question. "My dad always builds my bookshelves, it's kind of a thing." "Mac," Dick asks gently. "Where do your parents think you are?" Mac looks away then back at him. "I told them I was staying with some friends on the beach. Not technically a lie." She exhales. "If I tell them about the house, they'll want to know where the money came from. I never told them I know about being adopted." Another piece of Mac's tightly held secret comes out. "What would happen if they knew?" Dick has had so little experience with 'normal' parents, he honestly doesn't know. "I don't know. Things would change I suppose." Mac sniffs a little. "Would it be totally weird if I hugged you right now?" Dick asks. "Probably a little." Mac frown-smiles. "But what is this summer other than some bizarro version of our comic book?" Dick smiles, not getting the Superman reference.

Logan starts to come through the door to ask a question when he sees Dick slowly pull Mac into his arms. Neither one of them notice him or his surprised expression. He backs quietly out, having no context for the touching moment. Logan misses Veronica for the millionth time this summer. Of course, she would have rushed in the room and tried to intimidate Dick, Logan thinks. He smiles genuinely, then sighs. "Come back, Bobcat." He says to the night and walks back into his living room.

When Dick walks into the darkened living room a little while later, Logan clicks on the lamp next to his spot on the couch. Dick looks startled. "Embrace any beautiful neighbors this evening?" Logan asks him in full cartoon villain mode, just short of twisting his invisible mustache. "Dude, no. We were talking about her parents and the whole semi-adopted or whatever thing." Logan looks at Dick thoughtfully, assessing him really. "The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do." Logan quotes as he gets up and heads to bed. "What?" "Andrew Carnegie." He says before he closes his door.

Mac gets a call from her mother who asks if she's "still coming on the family camping trip? We're leaving early tomorrow morning." Mac is surprised its even in question. "Of course I'm coming Mom. I already have half of our supplies." "We just haven't seen you that much this summer Cindy. We miss you." Mac frown-smiles. "I miss you guys too. I can't wait for 2 weeks of non-stop Mackenzie family togetherness." She says for the first time in her life without sarcasm. Mac packs up her gear in the morning and leaves a note on the guys' balcony door. Dick reads the note with a disappointed face when he and Logan come inside from surfing later. "Hey Grant and Enbom are in town and want to hang." Logan says not looking up from his phone. "Feel up to seeing our old school-fellow?" He asks whimsically. "Yeah, could be fun." Dick responds without much enthusiasm. Logan doesn't pry.

Mac is due back today. Logan and Dick hear a sharp knock on their front door. Dick jumps up to answer it, expecting it to be Mac. He opens the door with a big smile only to be greeted by the quickly fading smile of Veronica Mars.


	3. Chapter 3

Mac is due back today. Logan and Dick hear a sharp knock on their front door. Dick jumps up to answer it, expecting it to be Mac. He opens the door with a big smile only to be greeted by the quickly fading smile of Veronica Mars.  
That smile has officially morphed into a scowl. "Dick, tell me you have embarked on a life of home invasions because you cannot be the 'friend' Mac is staying with." Dick smiles after she repeats Mac's parental cover story. This is one secret Veronica has been left on the outside of. Veronica completely mistakes what his smile implicates. "Clearly, you are experiencing some form of summer induced amnesia. Did I not tell you last time we met to write yourself a note?” Veronica bites out. Logan smiles, out of sight in the kitchen.

"I'll tell Mac you stopped by when she gets home," Dick says with false enthusiasm as he closes the door.

Veronica stands there for a moment before walking to the Saturn. Mac is clearly hiding whatever this is. But her paying gig needs her attention right now. She cringes as she gets in and drives off.

"You can come out now coward. Thanks for leaving me on my own to come up with a cover." Dick calls out to Logan and plops down on the couch. Logan comes over to the couch with a smirk.

"You seem to have handled it with your usual charm and finesse."

"Tell me again why you can't quit her?"

Logan shifts purposely into doe-eyed cliché mode. "There's just something dreamy about the way she goes from conversation to confrontation with no lag time." Logan clasps his hands by his face and sighs. "And the way she smells."  
Dick laughs.

"Please tell me you aren't waxing poetic over Christina Milano again." Comes Mac's voice through the open balcony door. All conversations about tiny blondes are momentarily forgotten.

"Mackie!" Dick jumps up to hug her.

"Stop!" She says putting her hand up. "I have to shower and wash the great outdoors off me before you guys can drag me to the beach. Give me a half hour." Dick's smile dims near imperceivably as she walks off.

"Speaking of love…" Logan trails off.

"Whatever Echolls, you're just trying to pull focus from fessing up to hiding in the kitchen from a chick," Dick says as he walks into the kitchen to pack the cooler.

 

Mac, Logan and Dick walk down the beach. They settle onto a blanket near the boardwalk just as the day's light is starting to fade. Mac is making the guys laugh with tales of Mackenzie camping traditions. Logan spots Veronica in the nearby crowd before she has a chance to spot them. He hops up and announces lyrically, "Excuse me, I have mayhem to attend to." Dick and Mac look up in surprise at his retreating back. He merges into the crowd right away.

"Well, that was strange." Mac says. "Everything…good while I was gone?"

"Do you mean were there anymore murder accusations or trophy wives?" Dick asks carelessly.

"Trophy wives?" Mac asks with a humored expression. "To my understanding, dear Mrs. Casablancas had quote freaky toes." She laughs.

"What?! I can't believe Logan told you about that!" Dick says indignantly.

Mac laughs really hard. "Best. College. Story. Ever."

Veronica spots the twosome laughing. She stares at them for a moment, Mac looks really happy. Mac and Dick settle into a comfortable silence. Just then, Veronica's end of summer mark shows up with the requisite bimbo and textbooks do not pay for themselves. Logan has been watching her during all of this. He had wanted Veronica to see just Dick and Mac together and draw her own conclusions. It may have been Dick that planted the idea in her beautiful brain earlier, but Logan wants to see what she'll do with it.

"I can't believe classes are about to start back up. It's been such a great summer." Mac says. They are sitting leaned back, shoulders almost touching, looking out at the dark waves. "Should I be expecting a parade of frat boys on our balcony next week?" She smiles.

"No, I think the Pi Sigs served their purpose last year. I don't need to be drunk to handle everything anymore," Dick answers openly.

After a moment, Mac looks over, "Can I ask you something, Dick?" Dick nods without looking over. "Why did you come back to Neptune last year, to Hearst?"

Dick shrugs. "I really don't know. Hearst was somewhere my mother could stick me so I wouldn't embarrass her and her new family."

"But you stayed, which must mean on some level you wanted to be there."

Dick looks at her thoughtfully, he smiles a little. "Yeah, I do want to be here," He says purposefully as they hold eye contact. Mac looks away first, trying to hide the pink creeping up her neck.

 

Once Logan is sure Veronica is sufficiently occupied for the evening, he heads back to the blanket. He grabs an apple out of the cooler, tosses it in the air before sitting down and crunching it.

"And?" Mac asks.

"Oberon has been served," he states casually.

"Of course you see yourself as Puck," Mac says with a smirk, shaking her head.

"Now that is the best story ever," Dick says.

"Really? Shakespeare, Dick?" Logan asks humorously surprised.

This launches Dick into a 7-minute monologue on everything "awesome" from the movie version, including 'manly' full body golden glitter and ending with how he could definitely rock donkey ears.

"And there you have it, the Bard according to Dick," Logan says with a smirk.

"I don't know, I think it would make for a singular experience as a one man play," Mac says, all dimples.

Logan jumps up and dramatically holds his apple core. "To surf or not to surf, that is the question."

" _Surf_ , always surf," Dick answers with mock mortification and they all laugh.

 

They stay until the end of summer crowd starts to thin, laughing about Logan and Dick's misadventure with Casey and Enbom. Mac's text alert goes off.

_Bond: Back in the hell-mouth. Late breakfast tomorrow?_

_Q: Will I need my laptop?_

_Bond: I'll provide the licorice._

_Q: See you tomorrow. It is good to be back Bond._

"I should probably get to sleep, I have plans in the morning," Mac says vaguely as she stands up. Logan suspects immediately that the text must have been from Veronica. He starts packing up, while Mac shakes and folds the blanket. Dick grabs the cooler and they head home. "Good night gents. I will see you later," Mac says before heading into her place.

Dick & Logan walk into their kitchen. "So…you think Ronnie will say anything to Mac?" Dick asks as he sits on a stool.

Logan smirks and leans on the opposite side of the breakfast bar. "Worried she'll mention what you implied earlier?"

Dick glances away. "I just don't want things to get weird."

Logan drops the smirk and stands upright. "Then don't let it," he says sincerely as he walks off. Dick sits there for a moment thinking.

 

The next morning, Mac sees Veronica ending a tense conversation with Nish from Lilith House outside the Heart library. Veronica looks over as Nish walks away and frowns slightly when she sees Mac.

"Client or suspect?" Mac asks.

"Not involved," Veronica dismisses the conversation.

"Okay." Mac lifts her eyebrows quickly and decides to let Veronica keep her secret for now. "So what mystery do you need my vast skills for?" She asks playfully as they start walking together.

"Can't a girl text her best gal pal to just hang?" Veronica responds with her own playful tone. Mac gives her a challenging look. "Fine. I have a case."

"Already? When did you get back?" Mac says facing forward as she walks.

Veronica half glances up at Mac, noticing Dick must not have mentioned her drop by. "Yesterday morning." She answers simply.

Switching gears, she says, "The client is a business woman who suspects her partner/husband of cheating on her. But after following him at the boardwalk last night, I'm not sure if he's cheating on her or on the business." Veronica narrows her eyes slightly to see if Mac has any reaction to the mention of the boardwalk. Her brows furrow in slight confusion when Mac's profile gives her nothing.

"Where do me and my laptop come in?" Mac asks, completely missing Veronica's expression as they sit down at an outdoor café.

"I need access to his personal email and any correspondence he had with this woman." Veronica says as she slides a name across the table. Mac smirks and gives her a questioning look. Veronica slides across the bag of licorice. Mac opens her laptop and sets to work.

 

There is a strong email link between the two.

"So, basic cheater case?" Mac asks.

"I don't know," Veronica says as she's mentally weighing the evidence. "In the emails, she seems too intent on him taking her back to his place. Last night she seemed overly into him. He's just a middle aged, head of cyber security at a regional solar energy company." Her eyes take on a gleam of excitement. "What do you know about corporate espionage Mac?"

After discussing the possibility over breakfast, Veronica decides she should do some surveillance of the woman in question. "I believe the payment portion of the evening has arrived," Mac states with a smile.

"I think this should count as the painting our nails and gossiping portion of the hang out," Veronica replies as they get in the car.

"Agreed," Mac says as though that is obvious.

 

They walk into a large bookstore. "Don't you ever mind, not being rich enough to buy all the books you want?" Veronica says in a southern belle voice as she gestures with outstretched arms to a shelf filled with beautiful early twentieth century books.  
Mac looks up from the table she was browsing through. "Hey, um, where are you planning to live once school starts?" Mac asks.

Veronica tilts her head. "Where are you planning to live?" she responds.

"I sort of bought a place," Mac says glancing to the side.

"You and Dick bought a place?!" Veronica raises her voice in disbelief.

"What? No!" Mac says surprised. "Well, yes. Kind of. Not really. I can't go into this here. My parents don't know."

"By all means, let's go back to your beach pad and discuss it whilst your blonde roommate makes us coffee," Veronica says with a disbelieving laugh.

"Dick makes terrible coffee."

"Car now. Please."

 

Sitting in Veronica's car outside the beach house. "So, let me get this straight. Grandpa Moneybucks left you forty million dollars," Veronica lays it out like facts in a case, "And you bought a duplex with Dick, whom you are now friends with."

  
"Brain functioning?" Mac says skeptically.

"Yes." Veronica nods. Semi-awkward silence as Veronica processes.

"So…want to move in? No rent."

"A secret lair on the beach with my gadget girl? Hmm." Veronica taps her finger on her chin. "I think I can forget the Dick Casablancasness of it all. Show me to my new life of luxury!" Veronica says the last bit dramatically and finishes with an excited smile. Mac matches the smile.

 

**Mentions of Puck, etc. are references to my favourite Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night's Dream and the 1999 movie with the delight Stanley Tucci. Oh, and there's also Hamlet paraphrasing.  
***Southern belle sentence is a quote from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton


	4. Chapter 4

_"Baby brother?"_  

"Trina?" Logan says into his phone. "I haven't heard from you in over a year."  _"_

_Well, after your moving performance at Dad's trial…"_  her voice trails off.

Logan frowns. "As much fun as its been to reminisce about the good 'ole times. I have to go." What starts whimsically, he finishes curtly. 

_"Wait!"_  Trina calls out through the phone.  _"I, I need you to come get me,"_   she says vulnerably.

"New boyfriend?" Logan asks remembering how the last one he met knocked her around. 

_"I'm being held at LAX for something that_ someone else _put into my carry-on."_

"Trina." Logan sighs. "I'll be there in a couple of hours."

She thanks him and he hangs up.

 

About an hour after Logan heads up to Los Angeles for the day, Mac and Veronica pull up, the Saturn loaded with stuff. Wallace is already waiting outside his car in front of the beach house.

"Really girl? My second day back and you already have me doin' your heavy lifting?" Wallace says as he grabs a crate from the car. 

_"My, the men in this neighborhood are so accommodating,"_ Veronica drawls with a huge smile directed at Mac.

"Welcome back Wallace," Mac says grabbing a box as well. "Let me get the door."

Dick pops out of his place when he hears the commotion and sees Mac about to drop the box as she gets her keys out. "Mac, let me get that." He takes the box and Mac smiles up at him.

"Thanks."

Wallace glances over at Veronica with a smile and she frowns at him. "Good to see you, Dick," Wallace says with extra friendliness, his wide smile staying on Veronica at first. He's clearly loving how Mac and Dick's connection seems to irk his best friend.

"Thanks Wally," Dick answers back happily. "How was Africa?"

Wallace looks surprised. "Good. Tough but incredible." Wallace tells Dick about the children forced to become soldiers and rescuing them while the guys unload the Saturn.

 

"Think they even noticed we stopped grabbing boxes?" Mac asks Veronica.

"I think your new  _friend_ may have noticed your absence," Veronica says with an arched brow. Mac looks down trying to hide the width of her smile. "Really?  _Wow_ ," Veronica's face is full of amazed surprise. "Like dating or I should prepare to live here by myself soon?"

"Neither! Just, I don't know, something might be there."

"Okay," Veronica nods. "Post-summer girl talk quota met?"

"Definitely!" Mac responds before the guys walk in with the last boxes.

 

Early evening finds Mac laying on the balcony, lower legs dangling off the edge. Dick walks over and sits down, setting a drink next to her.

"Can't. Lift. Arms. To drink," Mac says with a groan before she sits up.

"Finally done unpacking Ronnie?" Dick asks as Mac takes a drink.

"Mostly, Mr. Mars is bringing by a couple bigger things when he gets back."

"Me and Logan can help unload that stuff when it comes." A look of horror blooms across Mac's face. "What? Too awkward for Ronnie?" Dick asks.

"No," Mac looks at him. "I forgot to tell Veronica about Logan living here."

"Tell her now. I haven't really seen her taze other chicks," Dick responds.

"Can't. She's out on surveillance for the rest of the night," Mac says.

Dick smiles. "They are both going to _love_ this."

"You didn't tell Logan?" Mac asks.

"Nope. I've decided if he wants to keep getting his heart broken, it's his business." Dick says as he hops up. "Food?"

" _Sure_ , topic completely changed." Mac responds, not wanting to touch that potential landmine either.

 

After a bit Dick goes out to pick up the Mediterranean food they've ordered. Walking out on the deck when he comes back he hears Mac laughing in her living room. He smiles until he hears an unfamiliar male laugh added to it. He peeks, guiltily, through the glass door. Mac's standing near the closed front door with that 'study guides' guy she was dating at the end of freshman year. He turns to quickly go back into his place, only to walk smack into Logan.

"Whoa, I know you miss me Dick but…" Logan stops and turns his head when he hears Max laughing. He looks back at Dick and moves him into their living room.

"She's back with that guy," Dick says as soon as the door closes.

"You don't know that."

"Its not like…whatever, I'm going out." Dick says, moving to grab his keys.

"You have to stay," Logan says quickly. "Or things are going to get really weird.  _Which_  I recall you said you didn't want."

"Even if she's with that dude now?" Dick asks in a smaller voice.

"We don't know that, but yes, even if she is."

 

The guys set up dinner on the balcony and start eating. Mac walks out, thankfully sans Max a few minutes later.

"I'm starving," Mac says as she sits down. Logan covertly glances over at Dick, who stuffs a lamb meatball in his mouth to avoid talking. Logan starts talking about his ordeal with Trina being held at LAX earlier to fill the conversational void. Mac grabs the falafel and starts to take a bite.

"No!" Dick shouts. Mac, startled, drops the food back on her plate. She sits there stunned. Dick leans forward and swaps their plates. Falafel and lamb meatballs looking near identical. Mac starts laughing with Logan joining in. Dick looks at them like they've lost it. "You're welcome?" Dick offers questioningly.

"I'm sorry," Mac says calming herself down. "But with all the things that have happened in Neptune, I thought I was about to have a Harfang moment. You were so intense."

Dick smiles and finally starts to relax. "So Trina's carrying drugs between countries?" he asks Logan.

"Rare flower pods." Logan responds.

"She got arrested for flowers?" Mac asks surprised.

"Apparently her 'travel companion' convinced her to carry them in exchange for a small part on a pilot. After seven and a half hours in a security holding room she has nicely upgraded herself to  _Red-Headed Fiancée_. I  _almost_  think she staged it all." He finishes with a smirk.

 

They eat dinner whilst Logan tells some more colourful stories about being detained over the years. Dick throws in a couple school detention stories as well. Mac laughs at them all. Both men turn towards her expectantly.

"I am clearly the better criminal," she says archly. "I have yet to be caught."

"With Ronnie about, I cannot believe that is true," Dick says.

"Her figuring out my dastardly scheme  _may_  have been how we became friends," Mac replies.

"Of course it is," Logan says with a laugh.

"Come on Mackie, what'd you do?" Dick leans in with anticipation.

Mac squints one eye and bites her lip as she debates ratting herself out/bragging about the purity test. "Okay, fine…"

 

"See, not unbearable," Logan says once Mac heads out after a fifth game of Mario Cart.

"You always made it look so painful to be around Ronnie when you weren't together. I never understood how you kept putting yourself through that."

Logan grimaces and looks down. "Because I'm in love with her, Dick. Despite everything that's happened since Lily died, she is this vibrant, strong person. So if I have to wade through her trust issues, I'll take the chance if I get it," he finishes as he looks up at Dick.

The weight of the conversation hangs between them for a moment. Dick's eyes widen as movement catches his eye over Logan's shoulder. Logan turns his head just in time to see Veronica Mars' surprised face looking at him before walking off quickly to Mac's. Logan looks back at Dick.

"It feels  _really_  messed up now not telling you that Ronnie moved in today," Dick says sheepishly.

 

"Mac, I think you left out a  _small_  detail."

Mac looks up from her laptop at Veronica. LOGAN. "I'm  _so_  sorry. You were so focused on the Dick thing, Logan slipped my mind," Mac says sincerely.

"Oh, stop with that flattery Mac," Logan says coquettishly as he leans against the open glass door.

Veronica shoots him a look. Mac looks between the two of them, eyes locked on the other. "You didn't tell me you lived here!" Veronica says accusingly.

"Of course that's what you choose to focus on! I didn't even know you if you were even coming back. You left without…"

" _Psst!_ " Mac hears behind her. She turns to see Dick peeking through the front door, motioning her over. Mac goes over unnoticed by the two warring exes.

"Dick, I told you that key was only for emergencies," Mac whispers. Dick glances over her shoulder at the other two.

"I think this counts. I've been stuck in my room at the Grand more than once by their fighting. Trust me, this only ends in one of two ways and either one you don't want to be here for." Mac looks back once more before following Dick out of the house.

 

"Where do we go Mackie?" Dick asks.

"You pulled me out of my house late at night with no plan?" Mac says as they climb into her Volkswagen.

"Rescued. I think you mean rescued you." Dick says with a big smile. Mac smiles back.

"Care to venture around an empty campus?" Mac asks as she starts the car.

 

Dick and Mac are walking side by side on Hearst's quiet campus. "It seems strange this place will be overflowing with people in two days," Mac says thoughtfully after what must be 10 minutes of peaceful silence.

"Are you dating that cheater guy again?" It comes out of Dick's mouth like water bursting through a dam.

"What? Oh, Max? No," she responds.

"Cool," Dick says as he tries to play casual.

Mac rolls her eyes and reaches out and entwines their hands and keeps walking.

"Cool," Dick says again with the largest smile of his life as he looks over at her.

 

**Harfang is where the main characters in The Silver Chair accidentally commit Narnia's version of cannibalism.

***Trina's part is Lily on How I Met Your Mother. Please forgive the start date of that show not lining up with VM timeline.


	5. Chapter 5

Mac walks onto the balcony groggily and sits down with her coffee.

"So last night was fun," Logan says sarcastically as he sits down across from her. "Well, we had a lovely summer.  _Memories_." he starts because, of course, feeling hurt brings out this guy.

"Logan, stop," Mac says firmly, maintaining eye contact over her coffee cup as she takes a drink. This seems to mollify Logan. She set the mug down, softening a bit. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up. We  _are_  friends, I should have."

"Mac, you know she never would have moved in if she knew I was here. Maybe this place was a mistake," Logan says.

"This place isn't a mistake. This is our home and I won't return to  _ancient_  internet for anyone," Mac replies with a smile.

"Or bathroom sharing?" Logan calls back to move in day.

"Or bathroom sharing," Mac confirms. Logan smiles a little.

 

It fades as he sees Veronica briefly through the glass door. Mac catches all of it.

"Rough last night?" She asks sympathetically.

"Even better that we had an audience. Especially what she said at the end," Logan despondently responds.

"Dick and I cut out after the first 5 minutes failed to entertain," Mac says lightly, trying to cheer him up a bit.

"Is that why my roommate has been in an overly bright mood this morning?" Logan asks with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Mac blushes slightly. "We just held hands."

"That's even better!" he exclaims brightly standing up.

"Where are you going?" Mac asks.

"To overly involve myself of course." he says before disappearing into his half of the duplex. Mac looks up with an exasperated expression before finishing her coffee and heading in to her place.

 

Veronica, clearly frustrated, slams her phone shut just as Mac walks in.

"Problems with the case?" Mac asks.

"Just finished up actually," Veronica says too quickly. "Cheating husband was keeping proprietary solar energy information – research, tech and plans for a mass expansion into the Midwest – offline in his home office."

"Client more concerned about the company than the infidelity?" Mac offers.

"Ah, marriage Neptune style," Veronica replies with a hard smile.

"Veronica…" Mac begins. "Is something else going on?"

Veronica's expression falters slightly before she smiles. "Just trying to get use to being back," Veronica says as she grabs her bag and heads out.

Mac's brows furrow as she watches Veronica leave.

 

Late afternoon finds Logan on his couch reading as Mac and Dick are talking at the open balcony door. Logan gets up to answer a knock at the front door. Natalie and Sam Mackenzie are standing on the other side.

"Not what you think," Logan quickly says as he sees Mrs. Mackenzie's face pale and her husband's grow instantly aggressive. "Mac!" Logan calls out. He looks back at her parents uncomfortably. "So…camping, huh?" Logan can tell immediately that awkward silence was better than his attempt at small talk. Logan leans back into the room, "Door, Mac."

"Mac's showering before our date," Dick says as he lumbers over, opening the door wider. He freezes when he sees the Mackenzies. Logan gives him a well deserved look. "I'll get her. I mean I'll have Veronica get her. In her place. Where she lives. Without us." Dick stumbles over his words.

"Nice first impression, Dick," Logan says as Dick retreats.

 

Dick walks over and knocks at the back door.

"Little eager there, Dick?" Veronica says without a smile when she answers.

"Mac's parents are at our door," Dick says with a worried tone.

"And the problem is?" Veronica asks.

Dick pauses a second, not sure what the blonde detective knows. "They don't know…about the house."

"Oh," Veronica says, realization dawning of the implications. "I'll get her. Keep them in your place for a minute."

"I don't think they are really feeling the love for the Dickster right now," Dick says.

Veronica smiles. "Hardly a requisite for tolerating your company," she says sarcastically before disappearing into her place.

 

When Dick walks back into his living room. "Mac will be out in a minute. You guys can wait inside if you like," Dick says to the Mackenzies, everyone clearly uncomfortable. Mac's parents settle onto Logan and Dick's couch.

"You have a lovely home," Natalie attempts to be polite.

"Who are you?" Sam asks bluntly.

"Uhhh…" is all Dick can manage.

"Logan Echolls," Logan says finally launching into 'celebrity mode'. "And my eloquent friend is Dick Casablancas. Logan immediately realizes his mistake when Natalie's eyes widen at Dick's last name.

Luckily, Mac walks in at that moment. "Mom, Dad – hey," Mac says. They stand up and follow her into the other side of the beach house.

 

At first the two men sit there in the silence that follows, Logan hoping Dick didn't catch Natalie's reaction. But the quiet lasts just a moment too long.

"Did you see her face?" Dick says still staring where Mrs. Mackenzie had been sitting.

"Look man," Logan starts.

"Of course they hate me," Dick goes on as though Logan hadn't spoken. "How does Mac not hate me? How can she…" Dick grabs his keys and quickly heads out the door.

Logan flops back into his chair and runs his hand through his hair.

 

Mac walks into her living room with her parents.

"Here honey, I made you some of that freaky vegan lentil mushroom shepherd's pie you love," Natalie says handing the casserole dish over.

"Thanks Mom," Mac says with a small smile.

"So, this is where you live, huh?" her dad says. Mac sets the dish on a side table.

"I, uh," Mac takes a deep breath. "I know."

Mild panic springs instantly into her mother's eyes.

"About what Cindy?" she asks.

"I know about the hospital, about the adoption."

Sam reaches out and puts an arm around his wife as she starts to cry into his shoulder.

"Is that why you moved in with friends?" he asks worriedly. Natalie pauses then, needing to hear the answer.

Mac glances down before looking her dad in the eye. "No, I found out junior year."

"Why didn't you say anything honey?" Natalie asks.

"I," Mac pauses to wipe away a tear that surprises her. "I didn't want things to change. I didn't want you to think I didn't love you."

"Oh, Cindy!" Natalie says as she envelopes her in a hug that Sam joins. There are tear all around as the parents embrace their daughter.

 

Logan, still processing Dick's rash departure, is heading into the kitchen to make lunch when he hears a tap at the glass door. He opens it to Veronica standing there with her head down and hands in her pockets.

"Hey," she says looking up at him.

"Hey," he answers back with a bob of his eyebrows.

"Mac's still in with her parents," Veronica states, "Could I use your bathroom?"

Logan steps back, allowing her inside.

"Thanks."

Logan watches her as she starts to walk across the living room.

"Logan," she says turning around. "Yesterday was…"

"Yeah," he responds, tugging at his sleeves. Veronica nods and heads down the hall.

Logan glances down at Veronica's bag, sitting on the edge of his chair. A file folder seems to be spilling out of it from when it was dropped quickly. He moves to tuck it back in when he notices an 8 x 10 photo sticking further out. Pulling it out all the way, it's a photo of a gruesome looking dead body. Logan is still staring at the photo when Veronica comes back.

"Veronica, what is this?" he asks, sincerely worried.

"What did you think I was doing this summer?" Veronica responds. Logan looks at her with a hurt expression.

"Veronica, the date on it says this happened two days ago."

" _It_  has nothing to do with you," Veronica says defensively, picking up her leather bag.

"Veronica," he says raising his voice before returning to a calmer level. "Together or not, I don't want you to get hurt again or worse."

"I'll be fine," Veronica says firmly as she grabs the photo from Logan's hand and storms out the front door.

 

Mac turns her head at the sound of the slamming door at the guys' place. She's sitting down with her parents in the living room eating the casserole after their emotional exchange.

"I don't know how I feel about you being neighbors with those two boys, Cindy. It doesn't seem safe," Mac's mom says.

"Don't worry Natalie, she'll be moving back into the dorms tomorrow," Sam says giving his wife a small smile.

"Actually, I won't. I sort of bought the place."

Her parents both look up surprised.

"Yeah, apparently," Mac begins awkwardly, "I was left some money."

"By whom?" Mrs. Mackenzie asks.

"The Sinclairs, Mom. Their, um, grandfather passed away and left me some money."

Sam looks hurt. "So you've met them?" he asks.

"Only briefly in high school. A lawyer called me about the inheritance. I don't need to know them. You are my parents."

"Looks like you could use some bookshelves," her dad offers with a loving smile.


	6. Chapter 6

"Dude, you are not fun anymore. Its just the Zeta Thetas being friendly," Drew complains, as a not quite sober Dick pushes a random blonde off his lap.

"I have a date, man," Dick says sitting in the living room of the Pi Sig house.

"After midnight?" Drew responds with a grin. "High five for the almighty booty call!" he calls out, lifting his beer.

An inebriated agreement rises from the other Pi Sigs.

"Shut up, dude! Mac isn't like that!" Dick says as he jumps up.

"Calm down, Dick," Chip Diller says, "I think you already missed the date."

"Or went on it and already forgot it," another Pi Sig adds with a laugh.

"Either way, hardly the start to lasting love," the blonde Zeta Theta from before states with an eye roll. "Trust me, Dick. This is college, you don't want to fall in love."

Everyone else goes back to regularly scheduled programming – drink, flirt/sexually harass, repeat. Just more guys like his dad. Dick shakes his head and moves for the door.

"Is this about that weird girl your murdery brother use to date?" Chip asks one second and is stumbling back holding his face the next.

Dick slams the door as he leaves. Dick faintly hears someone shout out, "Last night before classes!" The Pig Sigs and their sister sorority go on partying.

 

Logan sits on the edge of his bed looking exhausted. He's spent the last few hours oscillating from trying to get a hold of Dick to worrying about Veronica tracking down whoever killed that person. She was strong and clever but she was also reckless at times. So was he. He smiles tiredly. It had been a perfect summer, no violent class wars or murder accusations. But it had been missing something, someone. He's calmer just thinking about their less angst filled times. He lays down and finally goes to sleep.

 

On campus the next day there are signs announcing the various clubs and Greek houses. Logan glides past it all. He stops suddenly when his eyes land on Veronica. She's sitting on the same bench they were on the first day of freshman year. She looks a bit uncomfortable, almost like she knows it's not right to be there without him. Logan's nostalgia is stopped cold in it tracks when Piz approaches Veronica and she hops up. Logan turns away, he had enough of that particular punishment last year. He catches up to Dick.

"What, no love for your drinking buddies of yesteryear?" Logan asks him dryly as he sees Chip Diller walk off looking put out.

Dick shrugs.  "Looking forward to 75 minutes of quality time with your perennial ex?"

"Oh, I'm expecting fun, fun, fun," Logan says with a sarcastic smirk before scrutinizing Dick. "What's with you?"

Dick looks up and groans. "I missed my date with Mac last night!"

"Dude! You didn't call her?" Logan looks irritated.

"No! Because I'm an idiot who doesn't deserve the coolest, smartest chick I've ever met."

"True," Logan says holding open the door for the Gangs and the Media class. "At least I won't be alone in my misery."

The guys settle in next to each other at one of the long lecture room tables. "Hey," Mac whispers, sliding into the seat next to Dick eyes on the professor setting up.

"Hey." He responds hesitantly.

"Sorry about last night. The parent…stuff took up the rest of my evening." Mac says somewhat nervously. Looking over at Mac relieved, Dick reaches out for her hand under the table.

"Its cool, we've got time."

Mac smiles over at him before they both turn their attention to the professor.

 

Halfway through the basic class preliminaries, Logan spots Veronica in her shrunken, denim vest four rows lower. His penetrating stare only breaks when the professor divides the class into teams. The TA distributes images, predominately male, predominately minorities among the different groups. The professor tasks them with assigning adjectives to each photo, first impressions only. Its enough to take Logan's mind off of Veronica for a bit. Logan is packing up at the end, laughing at Dick over something Mac said. Logan's relaxed a bit when Veronica approaches.

"Interesting choice of class," she ventures, hands in her back pockets. Logan looks into her eyes thoughtfully, lips slightly parted.

Mac speaks up quickly, "I thought it would be fun to take a class altogether." Veronica switches her gaze away from Logan.

"And I thought it'd be fun to flirt with Mackie while she tries to concentrate," Dick says with a big smile.

Logan's eyes flit over to Dick, surprised things have already smoothed over so completely after the missed date. Mac is blushing slightly. Logan catches sight of Piz waiting outside of the main door. He closes his mouth and looks at Dick. "I, uh, have to get to my next class." Veronica frowns.

"Yeah, I'll see you on the waves later dude," Dick says nodding his head. Veronica watches Logan walk out the side door.

 

"Gangs and the Media? Trying to understand me now, rich boy?" Weevil mocks Logan outside the class.

"You've caught me, Weevs. I lay awake at night struggling with the whole nature versus nurture debate. Where did it all go wrong for you?"

"I don't know. Your murdering, psychopathic daddy where you went wrong?" Weevil taunts with a smile.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Wallace shouts as he holds back Logan from lunging at the former PCHer. Weevil laughs and saunters off.

"You have got to stop doing this kind of nonsense man," Wallace admonishes as he relaxed his hold. Logan looks down, embarrassed.

"Can you not mention this to Veronica?" he asks.

"Is that back on?" Wallace says with a bit of exasperated confusion.

"So…her and Piz aren't…?" Logan asks looking up hopefully.

"I am not wading into those waters. You all can sort that out for yourselves," Wallace states with a halting hand gesture, backing down the hall. Logan glances back at the classroom door.

Mac is standing there alone. She frown-smiles.

"She's not with Piz?" Logan asks.

Mac raises an eyebrow and looks at him skeptically. "I thought you had a class?"

"The truth may be a bit flexible on that," he confesses with a smirk.

"It's doing yoga, your next class is tomorrow," Mac responds then starts to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Logan asks walking after her.

"Class. Not all of us chose the millionaire tasting menu," she says lightly.

"As much as I enjoy a good wine pairing, I planned out my year a bit more intentionally," Logan answers seriously.  Mac nods approvingly.

"And your new academic path is?" she inquires.

"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road," Logan quotes with delight as he breaks course with Mac.

"Kerouac is hardly an answer!" she calls out.

 

"I didn't realize he got you in the breakup," Parker says somewhat shyly. Mac hadn't noticed her walk up.

"No one has exclusive rights over me," Mac tells her with a soft smile.

Parker grins mischievously now. "I don't know, I think I saw a blonde of the male persuasion with you earlier who seemed to."  Mac looks down blushing. "How did that happen?! Summer lovin'!" Parker says with a laugh.

"It's new," Mac replies simply. Parker gives her a side hug. "How's your first day back?" Mac asks her.

"Good, good. Hopefully no serial rapists this time," Parker answers with false cheer. They walk into Environmental Data Analysis class. "I didn't know your major required this class?" Parker says as they sit down in the small room. "Did you switch into Marine Ecology?" she follows up excitedly.

"No, I'm still going to do my major in Computer Science. I'm just checking out possible minors. Using technology to save the world seem just super powered enough," Mac says with a smirk.

Parker laughs. "Let's hang out tonight," Parker says. "You already ditched me in the dorms this year. It's the least you can do."

"Promise minimal forced group singing and I'm in," Mac answers after a pause.

"No! Karaoke is a college must!" Parker exclaims. Mac is saved by the professor coming to the front.

 

After class Parker and Mac going over plans for the night when they run into Veronica.

"Hey," Veronica tries with Parker. Parker, not smiling just looks at Veronica for a moment. She glances at Mac, who's has a somewhat pleading look on her face.

Parker exhales and warms up. "Hey Veronica. Sorry." Mac smiles, relieved.

"I'm sorry Parker, last year got out of hand," Veronica says sincerely.

"No, you didn't do anything. Actually, Logan didn't really do anything either." Veronica is clearly uncomfortable with all of this. "Come out with us tonight!" Parker says, her spark returning.

"Please! You have to save me from public humiliation. She's trying to make me sing," Mac adds.

Veronica smiles impishly. "No luck, Q. It's karaoke night!" The three walk off across campus.

 

The California sun is singing its swan song, turning everything and everyone that perfect golden hue. Dick and Logan sit on their boards, just rocking in the gentle swell.

"Looks like a flat day, man," Logan says disappointingly.

"That's okay, it's a gorgeous day anyways," Dick says leaning back onto his board.

"You are way too happy man," Logan says with a laugh. "You haven't even had your first date."

"Doesn't matter, she said yes." Dick replies smiling with his eyes closed. Logan shakes his head, smiling as well.

 

 

**Jack Kerouac quote is from his iconic On The Road


	7. Chapter 7

With a sprinkling of the mythic  _Echolls of Hollywood_  charm and some strategic donations—read substantial—Logan had managed to mostly get away with assaulting a student in the school radio station and another in a crowded cafeteria. Hearst would not budge though on the mandatory therapy sessions it set for the first semester back. Expecting the typical counseling session he'd had with  _Becky_  after Lilly died, Logan is thrown when he walks into the Heart therapist's office to a dog sitting on a couch almost smiling at him. "Interrupting a session?" Logan directs at the man sitting in a nearby armchair. The 50-something man smiles and reaches out to scratch behind the dog's ear.

"Have a seat," he says in a relaxed manner. Logan, disconcerted, closes the door.

 

Mac's phone:

_Dick: Get ready to have your brains dated out!_

_Mac: …_

_Dick: ! Not like…_

_Dick: I'm just super stoked it's finally time for our date._

_Dick: We're still on, right?_

Mac smiles, she can practically feel him freaking out from here.

_Mac: See you tonight Dick._

"You've been doing a lot smiling at your phone this week Mac. They might start thinking you've gone  _soft_  in your old age," Veronica says setting her Styrofoam cup down on the cafeteria table. Mac looks up as Veronica and Parker join her.

"Finally going on a date with that poor boy you've strung along all summer?" Parker asks.

"Class load was too heavy to make it work during the week."

"Unless you're having second thoughts?" Veronica asks with an exaggeratedly eager face and crossed fingers. Parker gives her a look. "Kidding! I've made my peace with it. Everybody needs a troublesome blonde in their life and I may not be here forever."

Veronica looks tense as she realizes what she let slip out at the end. Mac covertly glances at Veronica with an analytical eye but decides once again to give her room for her secrets. It was the price of admission with Veronica. All her friends knew it.

"What are you going to wear?" Park moves on excitedly. Mac gestures at her current outfit, STD proclaiming t-shirt and jeans. Veronica relaxes with the shift. "You are  _not_  wearing that Cindy Mackenzie. I'm forcing you to shop," Parker declares. "You in, Veronica?"

" _Out_ ," Veronica replies, getting up with her bag quickly. "Have fun Mac!" Veronica says sarcastically before walking off.

 

Logan walks out of the office with red rimmed eyes. Things had gotten a bit more emotional than he had expected. Having Mac to confide in this summer had unknowingly prepared him in a strange way for it. He looks down at the handout on how to make best use of therapy. He collides with Veronica Mars as she races around the corner.

"Sorry V'ronica," he says awkwardly.

"Yeah, sorry. I should really slow down," she returns just as uncomfortable at being alone with him.

They had both managed to avoid one another since their class at the beginning of the week. Her countenance shifts as she notices his appearance. She raises her eyebrow and starts to ask.

"Just an emotional poetry reading with my hacky-sack squad," he deadpans before she can start questioning him.

"Logan…if you're in trouble, let me help you," she offers earnestly.

Logan laughs. " _Funny_  how it is never the same way when you're the one in peril," he says with just a little bite. He discretely glances over her shoulder at the door he had come through moments before. "Look, I'm an adult V'ronica. You don't have to ride in on your white horse to save me," he says gently to soften his words.

"Yeah, I know," she replies after a moment. Logan nods and starts to walk away. "And it's a  _unicorn_  not a horse!" Veronica calls out after him.

Logan spins around with a genuine laugh. Veronica smiles before exiting. Logan's eyes follow wistfully after her.

 

Mac walks toward her door, shopping bags in hand.

"Good, you're here," Dick exclaims eagerly, standing up fully from where he was leaning. "Let's go." Mac looks down at her t-shirt and jeans from earlier and looks unsure.

"Bags," she states lifting up the coerced outfits. Dick grabs them quickly and stashes them in his place.

"Problem solved," Dick says with a smile. He grabs her hand and heads to his jeep. Mac looks slightly stunned but goes with him willingly.

 

After Dick drives up the PCH out of town for a bit, he switches to access routes and then goes off road, seemingly towards a cliff.

"When did this go from a date to a body dump?" Mac asks.

"I know, right?" Dick says with a laugh. Mac looks over at him incredulously.

The jeep suddenly stops and Dick hops out. Mac follows him down an unmarked dirt path, Dick looks back smiling. Mac looks beyond him to see a low table setup on the beach with the sun hovering ever closer to the horizon.

"Whoa," comes out of Mac's mouth.

"Good 'whoa' or why isn't this a five-star restaurant 'whoa'?" Dick asks tentatively. Mac puts her hand in his.

"Perfect 'whoa,'" she says looking up at him.

Dick leans down and kisses her gently. Mac's hand goes to his chest as Dick holds the side of her face. They pull back after a moment. Mac is smiling broadly, looking down. She looks up into Dick's smiling face, he looks perfectly happy. Mac takes and exhales a deep breath.

"And we waited all week, why again?" Mac asks.

"Reasons?" Dick offers as they make their way to the table.

Dick pulls out food from a locked cooler.

"I love that shirt by the way." He gestures to Mac's 'Ask me about my STD' t-shirt.

Mac laughs. "Yeah, I was told very firmly that this was not appropriate dating attire."

"By your mom?" Dick asks somewhat nervously. Mac seems surprised by the way he asks it.

"Parker, actually," she replies. Dick nods, silently processing. "She made me go shopping today," Mac says trying to move past whatever is bothering Dick. "If you'd waited ten minutes you could have seen a whole new Mac," she states sarcastically. It seems to work.

"I like this one, no outside interference welcome," Dick voices with a smile as he starts serving her.

A few bites in Dick begins to tell her a ridiculous story of bad advice from a friend—using regular lotion on poison ivy whilst camping in Big Bear. The two spend the bulk of the evening laughing and just enjoying being together.

 

Once the sun has finished its stunning dance into the ocean, they sit under the stars together.

" _Too_  early to say best date ever?" Dick wonders aloud with a goofy smile after a kiss.

"Hmm," Mac starts with a mock serious face. "Let's calculate, potential kidnapping subtract one too-short silver mini dress."

"You would have looked  _so hot_ ," Dick adds in.

Mac rolls her eyes and continues. "Add in the best vegan food in town and this sky…I would say pretty successful first date." Mac finishes all dimples.

"See, Ronnie can be wrong about some things," Dick says as he starts to pack up. Mac looks at him thoughtfully.

"Did she say something to you?" she asks.

Dick laughs. "No, but I know she's not thrilled about this."

Mac picks up the cooler. "Well, I am. And everyone else will have to be fine," she responds and starts walking back up the path. Dick looks after her meaningfully.

 

Neptune is just waking up on Sunday as Mac drinks her coffee outside.

"You're going to have to stop making Dick so happy—his joy is my sorrow before 10am," Logan says grumpily joining Mac on the balcony.

She turns her head to him tiredly. "Drop him off in the desert together?" she suggests.

Logan chuckles and takes a drink of his coffee. "Over him this soon?" he asks playfully.

"Thin walls. Early classes," Mac answers.

"Yeah, the shower singing was unexpected. But maybe it shouldn't have been," Logan says.

They sit there, using coffee to remove the morning fog. Mac ends the comfortable silence after a bit.

"How was your therapy thing?" she asks placing an empty mug down.

Logan nods, then looks down, tugging at his sleeves.  "Strange? Good, I guess. I don't know."

Mac frown smiles her understanding.

"Get ready for two ingredient pancakes!" Dick lumbers in jovially. Logan looks at him with a raised brow. "It's oat and bananas, dude," Dick says, thinking his recipe is in question.

Logan smirks ready to move on from the topic at hand. "Bananas?" he asks.

"Only the best fruit in the world," Dick replies, filling his plate. "That's why you can find them in the greatest surf spots on the planet."

Mac smiles at his cluelessness. "Thank you for the pancakes, Dick."

He smiles. "You're welcome. And that is why you get extra pancakes."

"Please, not in front of the  _children_!" Logan pleads in a faux shocked manner.

"Children?" Mac asks with a raise brow.

"I feel a second childhood coming on," Logan replies with a smirk. Dick laughs and they continue eating their breakfast.

 

"Hey!" They hear an overly flirtatious, female voice call out from the beach below. "Logan?"

Both of the guys ignore it, recognizing it instantly. Mac walks up to the ledge to see. Madison Sinclair's face goes from put on sweetness to absolute disgust within milliseconds.

"What is  _she_ doing at Dick and Logan's?!" Madison loudly asks the other former Neptune High cheerleader with her. The other person replies a bit more discreetly before Madison storms toward the balcony's stairs.

"In coming," Mac says turning to Dick and Logan.


	8. Chapter 8

_[FLASHBACK AFTER THE INHERITANCE PHONE CALL, PRE-HOUSE BUYING]_

Mac sits in her car outside a luxurious house. Cars line the street, adults dressed in mourning clothes are heading inside. Madison Sinclair pulls into the driveway, pop music blaring. She gets out of her vehicle clad in black, talking loudly on her cellphone. Other funeral-goers pass her by, seemingly uncomfortable with Madison's behavior.

After a minute Mrs. Sinclair comes out of the house, her face clearly tear-stained. Mac can't hear what they're saying but clearly Mrs. Sinclair is asking her daughter to come inside. Madison grumbles something into her phone and snaps it shut. Mrs. Sinclair exhales in defeat looking away from Madison. Her eyes accidentally meet Mac's in the car. Mac gasps sharply as her biological mother's tears start to fall gently down her mirror image face. Madison flick's a sharp look in Mac's direction. Mrs. Sinclair and Madison head into the house. Mac wipes her own tear off her cheek. She starts her car back up and drives away hoping Madison didn't recognize her.

_[END FLASHBACK]_

 

"I saw you, you know," Madison starts accusingly at Mac.

"Maddie, we haven't dated in years," Dick interrupts misunderstanding. Madison looks at him in disbelief. "I can date whoever I want," he finishes with a shrug.

"And now you're dating my ex- _boyfriend_?!" Madison screams, stepping aggressively toward Mac. "What kind of psycho are you?! You think you can just take…"

She drops mid-rant, contact with Mr. Sparky halting her approach.

"I have not gotten to do that in a  _while_ ," Veronica says standing behind with a smile and serious eyes.

"Mighty Mouse!" Dick exclaims, raising his hand for the high five that won't come. He puts in down, not half offended.

After the brief jolt wears off, Madison leaves with a dirty look. Mac looks relieved. She's not ready for the big Sinclair reveal yet, ever really.

"Park the unicorn on the beach?" Logan asks Veronica with a smirk.

"Wherever there's a fight I'll be there," she says with her own self-satisfied smile.

All the energy from a moment ago seems to concentrate in the gaze between the two of them.

"So…that was intense," Dick says breaking the tension. He's looking to Mac but she will barely meet his eyes.

"We should really get to work," Veronica cuts in. Mac's grateful eyes meet hers.

"Yeah, the case. Lots of keys to clack," Mac says before heading in with Veronica.

 

"Dude! Is it already ending?" Dick says in shocked disbelief after Mac disappears into her home. "I mean, I knew she wouldn't stick around forever or anything, but I can't believe it's already here."

"What?" Logan asks surprised.

"Logan, girls don't stay with guys with psycho exes. Ask Parker," Dick responds.

"You have got to learn to chill. It's not over," Logan says, letting the dig roll off.

"It's not?" Dick asks hopefully.

Logan laughs. "Give her time. And keep Madison away from here," he says the last with a bit of added emphasis.

 

"Another save or…" Mac asks gesturing to her laptop.

"Your computer can take a night off," Veronica says, crashing onto the couch. "I vote ice cream and South Park."

Mac smiles. "Make it Rear Window and tamarindo paletas and we have an accord."

"I'll ask Wallace to pick some up on his way," Veronica responds.

 

Wallace, Veronica and Mac are watching the screen as the blonde climbs the fire escape into the murderer's apartment when a text alert startles them all. Wallace doesn't bat an eye as Veronica leaves the room urgently. Mac's eyes go from her to Wallace.

"You know we don't ask," he says, never looking away from the movie.

"I know," Mac exhales, leaning back into the couch. "Why though? It's not like she spends her nights looking for lost pets or something."

"There was a dog once," Wallace replies trying to bring some levity.

"She's been set on fire, pissed off mobsters' progeny, drugged and nearly…" Mac stops unable to finish.

Wallace finally turns toward her. "We don't ask because she'd never tell us. I gave up figuring her out day one when she cut my naked butt down from the flagpole for no apparent reason."

Veronica walks back into the room. "Hitchcock couldn't hold your attention," she queries with a raised brow.

"We're just debating whether Jimmy Stewart would be culpable if the blonde gets murdered," Mac covers easily.

"Like he could have stopped her," Veronica says with a smile sitting back down between the two of them. Mac and Wallace exchange entertained expressions over her head.

 

The rest of August moves by uneventfully, aside from Dick's dad entering a cozy low security prison. Madison never shows back up and neither Mac nor Dick bring it up. Logan and Dick walk away from the waves, boards under their arms. They plop onto the sand, Logan with a bit more grace than his friend.

"Okay, dude, spill," Dick says looking over at him. Logan looks at his questioningly. "I know you and Ronnikins aren't back together and no ladies have been about the place. Why are you so…zen?" Logan looks down amused. "I have never seen such a non-aggressive Logan Echolls. Secret, weekly fight club? 'Cause that would be awesome! I would definitely get in there, mix it up with some accountant experiencing ennui."

"Ennui, Dick? I think we need to focus on the changes in your personality," Logan says with a light laugh.

"Hey, dating a hot, brainy chick has some advantages," Dick replies. "I don't understand half the stuff she's saying when she starts talking about her classes. The next generation of Casablancas could be freaken geniuses."

Logan looks at Dick with a surprised expression. "You really thinking about that stuff, man?" he asks.

"Whoa," Dick says amazed himself. "I guess so. I've never had to work at a relationship like this but I don't know. Maybe."

Logan nods, clearly a little proud.

 

Smoke is beginning to reach the clouds about over Hearst campus. Veronica is standing with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, soot on her. Passersby begin to gather, among them Mac coming from her late afternoon Logics class. Mac looks at Veronica and sees the unveiled fear in her eyes as she looks at the burning remains of Lilith House. The crowd of onlookers, both students and staff, is growing. In an instant Veronica's shielded expression snaps back into place and she moves quickly away from the scene. Mac rushes after her.

"Is this the case?" she asks once she's caught up to her shorter friend.

"Mac…" Veronica starts to stall.

"No, Veronica," Mac says, "I've not asked and I know you don't want me to now. It's how things function. But is this it?"

Veronica looks trapped.

"MAC!" Dick calls out, heading their way with Logan at his side. Both women look in that direction. Silent communication passes between them when their eyes meet again. Mac gives Veronica a look of consent.

Veronica hastily leaves before the guys can reach them. Logan of course spots her retreat right away.

"V'ronica," Logan calls out, before reaching her. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything. Just let me get you checked out."

"I'm fine," Veronica tries to brush him off.

"Then let me get you home."

Veronica considers it. She glances around. "Yeah, get me out of here." The two of them walk off together.

 

The exterior door swings open and a weary Veronica walks in, dropping keys on a little table a few feet inside. Logan stands in the open doorway, uncertain. It had been a silent drive over.

"Let me know if you need anything," Logan offers, hands in his pockets. Veronica looks back at him then.

"Can we just sit? For a minute, maybe?" she asks tiredly.

Logan looks at her with his mouth slightly open for a moment. "Sure," he says on exhale, stepping in and closing the door.

 

 

**"Wherever there's a fight" is a paraphrase from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to deeper hints as to what Veronica has been up to. I started this story fascinated with how the people in Veronica's life allow her the secrets she keeps and how there's conflict when they won't. I am also so in love with MaDi. Fine, it's my imaginings so I love everyone here. Hopefully you are too and that's why you're reading. Please tell me what you're thinking, it is helping shape the story.


	9. Chapter 9

_The exterior door swings open and a weary Veronica walks in, dropping keys on a little table a few feet inside. Logan stands in the open doorway, uncertain. It had been a silent drive over. "_

_Let me know if you need anything," Logan offers, hands in his pockets. Veronica looks back at him then._

_Can we just sit? For a minute, maybe?" she asks tiredly._

_Logan looks at her with his mouth slightly open for a moment. "Sure," he says on exhale, stepping in and closing the door._

 

Veronica sits on one end of the downstairs couch. Logan eases his way onto the opposite side. Veronica seems a bit lost in thought.

She glances over at Logan, perceptibly surprised at his distance. "Why are you so far away?"

"I don't know, you didn't say a word to me on the way here," Logan responds.

"I thought you said we didn't have to talk about it?" Veronica says, tensing slightly, almost scared.

"V'ronica, we don't have to but are you okay?" Logan asks. Veronica looks like she's calculating an answer. "I mean it, you don't have to. But are you  _actually_ okay?" Veronica's façade softens as tears well slightly in her eyes.

"I don't know," she answers, not meeting his eyes. "Maybe not."

The worth of the honest answer is not lost on Logan. He moves to sit closer. Veronica shifts closer as well and leans back. She takes and exhales a deep breath, closing her eyes. Logan looks meaningfully at her before relaxes next to her, content just to be there with her. They sit in the silence of the dim room for a while.

 

Veronica's phone interrupts the peace with a text alert. She fishes it out of her bag.

"Mac, just checking in before her date," Veronica says holding her phone up. Logan nods, disappointed the moment has come to an end. Veronica sends a response. "I should go shower," Veronica starts, getting up.

Logan begins to rise as well. Before starting down the hall, Veronica turns around to face him.

"Will you still be here?" she asks with a touch of vulnerability.

Logan nods at her with a look of wonderment, "Yeah, I won't leave." Veronica's expression changes to one of gratitude before she continues on her way. Logan slowly sits back down, seemingly processing. His phone starts ringing, Mac's picture on the screen.  

 

"Yeah, I brought her home," Logan answers Mac's question. "No, don't worry about it. She's just showering."

Logan rolls his eyes.

"Thank Dick for his ever mature background commentary."

He pauses to listen.

"I'll take care of dinner. Just enjoy dinner and stimulating conversation with our aptly named friend."

Logan smiles and sniggers at Mac's response.

"See you guys later," he says before hanging up.

He immediately dials Cho's Pizza and places an order.

 

After a bit, Logan hears the shower shut off, followed by a loud knock on the front door. Logan opens the door to pay for the Peking duck topped pizza. Instead he is met with the surprised face of Keith Mars.

"Logan?" Keith asks.

"You were expecting Sidney Poitier?" Logan asks with a small smile. Keith's eyes narrow slightly. "You Mars really don't find that joke funny do you?" Logan says and Keith walks past him.

"I heard my daughter was in a burning building today. You'll have to forgive my missing humor," Keith says once Logan closes the door. Logan nods his understanding with a soberer face.

"I thought I just heard my dad's voice," Veronica says coming out fully dressed, toweling off her hair. Keith looks at her before turning his ire-filled glare on Logan. Veronica makes a put-upon expression.

"He brought me home from campus," she says drawing Keith's attention back to her. Her father relaxes then.

"Are you okay, honey? And why did I have to hear about this from Bill from the fire department? You'll make me lose my hair." Veronica lifts a brow with a challenging expression.

Logan just watches in amazement as the mood in the room switches. He moves to answer the door once the Cho's delivery person actually arrives. Logan walks back into the room to Veronica and Keith laughing. He sets the pizza on a table near the couch and moves to leave. Veronica and Keith look over at him.

"I'm sorry," Keith offers. "You don't have to run out on my account. Stay, let's eat." Veronica smiles wide, obviously pleased. Logan offers a small smile in answer.

Veronica leads them upstairs to the balcony. Logan walks through the glass door into his kitchen, grabbing plates and cups.

 

By the time Dick and Mac come home, Keith and Veronica are laughing at Logan's embarrassing story of meeting an older Lizabeth Scott at a Hollywood function as a child. Mac looks on in amazement, Dick however just jumps into the fun. Mac catches the loving way Veronica is looking at Logan before the petite blonde's eyes meet her own. Mac smiles, not wanting to interrupt what seems to be happening and joins her friends.

 

**Lizabeth Scott is a treasure of film noir, Too Late For Tears being one of her greats.


	10. Chapter 10

The joy that is Sheriff Vinnie Van Lowe translates into the Lilith House fire being ruled an accident despite the fire departments opinions to the contrary. More unusual to Mac's mind is how Veronica doesn't seem to say anything to protest or investigate the decision. In the week after the fire, Veronica appears more anxious to Mac, like there's something gnawing at the edges of her mind. But Mac gives her space to work through it. Veronica's face on the day had been enough to know this is the case. Mac is glad to note her friend's tense state at least seems to dissipate when Logan is there. Their usual banter has returned without the bite that is often present when they're not together. Mac has noted how relaxed and joyful Logan looks when Veronica smiles widely in his direction.

Mac grabs her coffee and walks through the glass door the next Saturday morning after the fire. Veronica is looking out at the waves spellbound, happy expression gracing her face. Mac asks her a question and Veronica startles.

"I'm sorry, what?" she questions, turning in her seat toward Mac.

"Coffee or orange juice?" Mac asks again. She begins to glance past Veronica.

"I thought we could grab coffee on campus." Veronica tries to shift Mac's focus by standing up and moving toward their door.

"Saturday. We don't have classes," Mac states. Veronica shakes her head slightly.

"That's right. I have to get to the office."  She grabs her bag and quickly leaves.  

Mac furrows her brow, confused at her friend's hasty exit. She turns toward the beach to see a happy Logan and Dick rapidly making their way up from their morning surf. Mac smiles as an explanation burgeons in her mind. Just then Dick looks up at her. A beautiful smile dawns on his face. Her own dimples make a swift appearance. All thoughts of Veronica vanish from Mac's mind as Dick makes his way up to her.

Logan, however, is visibly disappointed when he sees Veronica is gone. He had spotted her up on the balcony watching him. His eyes always seem to find her, no matter how unobserved she thinks she is. He can almost feel her on a visceral level when they're near. Mac laughs, half resisting as Dick pulls her into his wet arms.  Logan turns away and opens his phone.

"You've reached Veronica. Leave a message or I won't call you back," states Veronica's voicemail. He pauses for a moment.

"She wasn't doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together," he quotes. "Salinger." He closes the phone and stares down at it, uncertain but hopeful smile adorning his face.

"Wake up, dude. Food. Now." Dick insists snapping him out of it.

 

Veronica sits in her Saturn, phone pressed against her ear as she listens to Logan's voicemail. Her face a mixture of overwhelmed and happy. A rough knock on her passenger door pulls her back into the present. She climbs out at definitely not Mars Investigations, Weevil greets her with an up nod and a serious face. Veronica's eyes light up the way they do when the game is on.

"I've been waiting all week," Veronica states by way of greeting.

"Well, blondie, I'm sorry the service is too slow for your liking," Weevil answers with a coy smile. "Perhaps you'd like to find a new bald sucker to play detective for you." 

 

"Hey, I, uh…" Dick begins haltingly as the three friends finish eating.

"Words man, they're what we use to communicate," Logan instructs with a smirk.

"I'm gonna be out for the next day or so," Dick articulates finally.  

Logan and Mac look at him enquiringly.

"Not a big deal. I just didn't want anyone to worry. So…be back in twoish days," he finishes quickly, hopping up and grabbing the empty plates.

Mac looks bewildered and moves to follow him into the house. Logan grabs her arm quickly and shakes his head seriously. Mac looks at him questioningly.

"It's September 13th tomorrow," Logan elaborates in a low voice.

A look of understanding and then sadness pass over Mac's face. THE BUS CRASH.

"He doesn't have to be alone this year," Mac voices quietly.

Logan gives her a grim smile and walks into the house. Mac sits there looking unsure.

 

"Hey, man," Logan says with concern as he leans against Dick's door frame.

Dick looks up from packing his duffle bag.

"You know I gotta go, Logan," Dick responds.

"Maybe just not alone this year, maybe…" Logan starts.

"Look," Dick says somewhat firmly, "I was part of it, part of messing him up. I  _won't_  be like my dad. If I want to change, then I can't completely forget." He finishes with a hint of desperation.

"I get it Dick," Logan offers.

Dick looks at him with uncertainty.

"A sadistic murderous father leaves stains on the soul." Logan smirks sadly.  "Different. But we're a boxed set." Dick exhales a deep breath. "Do what you need to do. I'll hold down the home front," Logan reassures him.

Dick engulfs Logan in a hug. The two part, both slightly more emotional than their friendship is usually comfortable with. They nod and Dick leaves out the front door.

 

 

Last September 13th Dick had test his liver's capacity for alcohol and his ability to find Big Dick's isolated, luxury cabin. He'd failed on both accounts. He was found the next morning, passed out, by a park ranger who'd tried to get his parents' phone number. To which Dick laughed loudly, turning somewhere into sobs. The older man had averted his eyes to give the poor kid a moment. Dick had called a car service to pick him up after the park ranger had offered his office phone.

This year, Dick finds himself parking outside the family homes of his former classmates. The classmates who never made it home from Shark Field. He notices the same car pulls away at a few of the places as he drives up. He doesn't stop when he sees a tough looking blonde woman, about his age sitting on the front of that car when he drives up to where Betina Marone's trailer used to be.

Morbid tour complete, Dick pulls his car onto the shoulder of the PCH. He sits there a moment, clearly gathering his courage. He tightens his grip on the steering wheel before resolutely opening the door and getting out. He stands in the exact spot he'd stood with Beav just moments after the bus had gone over. The horror of that moment washes over him. His breathing starts to grow shallow and fast. He slowly walks over to the ledge, looking at the water below.

"What do you think you're doing here?!" He hears an angry voice call out at him.

He turns quickly toward a fuming blonde Jessie Doyle. He looks at her with confusion, not recognizing the bus driver's daughter.

"You don't know me?" she asks fiercely. "Must be why you skipped my family's place. At least where we lived when we were a family."

The realization of who she is almost physically hurts him.

"Thought so," she spits bitterly. "Because of your brother, everyone thought my dad murdered a bunch of teenagers. Made my kid brother think that."

Dick's face turns red as tears start to blur his vision. There was no defense, his brother had done that. To her, her family and all the rest.

"I'm so s—" Dick begins.

"Save it. I don't want your apology. I won't let you feel—"

"Stop!" Mac shouts getting out of her car.

Jessie halts her verbal onslaught.

"Stop it," Mac repeats to Jessie in a moderated voice, moving toward them. "I'm so sorry about your dad. That must really hurt. You get to be angry, today especially. He didn't do it though."

Some tears begin to come down Jessie's angry face. She turns, gets in her car and drives off.

 

Dick is so moved as he looks at Mac. A girl who could handle your pain, instead of just pretending everything was fine all the time. He takes a few quick steps to eliminate the small distance between them. Dick puts on hand on the back of her neck as the other threads through the hair on the back of her head. Mac holds his upper arms as he kisses her intensely. Mac is surprised when the kiss stops just as suddenly as it had started.

"Thank you," he says, eyes closed, their foreheads touching.

"Coming home?" she asks as they step back from each other slightly.

"I can't yet," Dick answers.

Mac looks worriedly at him. Dick gives her a sad smile.

"I'll be okay. I'll be home after…all this," he tries to reassure her.

"I understand," she replies, hugs him and leaves.

Once she's gone, Dick feels like a piece of strength has gone with her. His mind goes back to Jessie's face, the bitterness there. He drives off to the nearest liquor store that doesn't card too strictly. He buys a bottle of scotch and sets it in the backseat, just in case. Dick drives off toward Neptune High continuing his day of remembrance and repentance.

 

Logan is finishing a rare solo late dinner on the dim balcony. Veronica walks out lost in her thoughts, deep worry filling her eyes. She seems surprised he's home.

"A bevy of brunettes must be missing you somewhere," she quips with a small smile.

"We're not over," Logan states, his eyes vulnerable.

"How do you always do that?" Veronica inquires.

Logan looks at her confused at the question. Veronica shakes her head slightly.

"You just, you shouldn't trust me. But you keep doing it." Logan looks hurt. "I mean," she takes a breath, "you always amaze me, surprise me."

"We can't sort through everything we've been to each other in one night. Friend. Adversary. Love of my life?" Logan says with a soft smile. "How about we just start by sitting here quietly under these stars? We can sort the rest out tomorrow."

Veronica nods and sits down next to him. He puts his arm around her chair and they stare up at the sky.

 

Mac walks out onto the dark balcony sometime later.

"Hey," Logan's voice floats quietly from where he sits.

Mac notices Veronica's head resting on his chest.

"Sorry," she whispers, turning to go inside.

"Mac!" Logan whispers. She turns back around. "I, uh, I need your help," he says, "She fell asleep and I don't want her to be freaked out if she wakes up while I'm putting her in bed."

Their eyes connect, silently acknowledging the cause for that concern.

"Yeah, of course," Mac answers. She moves to open the door while Logan lifts Veronica in his arms. Logan exhales a breath, happily looking down at her peaceful face.

 

Hours later Veronica wakes in her bed. The sky still dark, she slips out of the beach house with her leather bag, unnoticed by Mac or Logan.

 

The sun is slowly turning the grey sky pink ahead of him but Dick barely registers it. The grass he's sitting on is dampened by the morning mist. Dick's eyes are fixated on the dark grey slab in front of him. CASABLANCAS—No first name, no epithet. Only the last name and the years of birth and death. Dick takes a drink from the bottle beside him.

"I'm so sorry Cass. But you shouldn't have done all that stuff, man."

As Dick is about to lift the bottle again, he notices movement ahead of him. A serious, vaguely familiar man is towering over Veronica Mars. Aside from the obvious strangeness of meeting someone at dawn in a cemetery, Dick is surprised at how tense, almost scared Veronica looks. Before his mind can process what's happening Veronica is walking swiftly for her car. Which just so happens to put Dick right in her path.

 

**Logan's voicemail is from JD Salinger's Nine Stories

***Credit where it's due, Dick spending the day alone was inspired by Luke Danes' dark day on Gilmore Girls


	11. Chapter 11

Dick is frozen as he watches Veronica's approach. Unbeknownst to her or Logan, Dick had indeed written a note freshman year to not mess with Veronica Mars. His new relationship with Mac had only calmed his healthy fear of the small blonde. In the present, Veronica diverts and passes around the Casablancas plot.

Dick lets out an audible sigh of relief and sets the forgotten bottle down. The sounds are too out of place in the quiet cemetery. Veronica whips around, taser in hand. Dick throws his hands up, face communicating his distress. Veronica lowers the weapon but maintains her scowl. "Drinking on graves? Very classy Dick," she criticizes. Dick's hands lower as his eyes automatically flicker to his brother's grave marker. Veronica's pales as she notices it. The two of them are locked in the swarm of emotion flowing around them. The sound of a car door closing pulls Veronica out of it. Dick begins to glance behind him. Veronica pulls him up roughly.

"We have to go. Now," she commands, rushing him to her car. Confused, Dick allows her to lead him.

"Ronnie, what the h—" Dick starts.

"Slouch down," Veronica orders. She starts the car quickly and drives off with her startled passenger.

 

The sun hasn't woken fully outside as Logan rises from his bed. A small smile forms, memories of Veronica falling asleep in his arms passing through his mind. Wandering upstairs he sees Dick's room is still empty. Logan's face takes on a worried expression. Drunk, sad Dick doesn't always make the best choices. Logan looks down at his phone, no missed texts or calls. He rubs the back of his neck and heads to the downstairs living space turned gym.

 

After a series of odd turns, Veronica parks the car by Dog Beach.

"Who  _was_  that guy, Ronnie?" Dick asks, turning toward her.

"Did he see you?" she responds, all business. Trepidation mixes with the confusion already on his face.

"I don't think so," he stammers.

Veronica becomes slightly less tense, looking out the windshield. Dick waits expectantly. Naturally, no answers spill out from Veronica. After a minute, she moves to restart the car. Dick places a firm hand on her right arm.

"The ride-or-die life may appeal to my unfortunate friend but I haven't had googly eyes for you since we did soccer together in the  _second_   _grade_ ," he asserts. Veronica looks at him, thrown off her game. "Look," he continues, "I know you're all about the secrets but I'm gonna need to know why you busted out the evasive driving maneuvers and pulled me along for the ride."

"As much as I enjoyed being the Luke to your Bo…get out," Veronica snaps.

"Fine, I'll ask Mackie," Dick replies with a huff as he moves to get out. Veronica quickly hits the locks. "What's wrong with you, Mars?" Dick fumes.

"You cannot tell Mac," Veronica commands.

"Again," Dick replies, "immune to your kryptonite. You can't tell me what to do." Veronica's face turns grave.

"You can't tell her," Veronica begins with some distress, "they'll hurt her."

"Hurt  _Mackie_?" Dick gulps. "What is going on Veronica?!"

"She can't know, Dick," Veronica insists. "You can't tell anyone about this morning. I can't get someone else hurt." Dick watches her intently. "Weevil's already in the hospital," she barely lets out in a worried tone.

"Veronica—" Dick begins softer.

"Just don't say anything, Dick. To anyone," Veronica says reigning any emotion back in. Dick nods soberly.

She drops Dick off at the beach house before driving away. Dick watches the Saturn with a concerned expression until in turns off their street.

 

Logan is doing his best to look nonchalant waiting on the weight lifting bench downstairs when he hears Dick walk in. Dick looks a bit shell shocked.

"Hey man," Logan greets, trying to assess his friend's state.

"Yeah, uh, sorry to wake you," Dick mumbles. Logan looks bemused, gesturing with his hands at where he's sitting.

"Are you still drunk?" he asks. This seems to pull Dick out of his thoughts.

"No," he responds, seemingly offended.

"No, of course not, because we often stay out all night without alcohol," Logan smirks. Dick relaxes.

"I can turn a party legendary, can't I?" Dick ponders with a smile.

"Fabled," Logan smiles back, getting up. "Hey, you may want to shower off this charming eau de perfume with subtle notes of dirt and scotch. Mac's making breakfast for you in her kitchen."

 

_Q: Where are you?_

_Bond: On the trail of a hot coffee, closing in quick._

_Q: Are you and Logan back on the relationship bandwagon? I just need to know how to navigate the waters._

_Bond: Unclear at this point._

_Q: How you feel about him? Or if you want to risk being open with him?_

_Bond: Is that some attitude from my resident genius?_

_Q: Yeah. I think it might be._

_Q: I care about him. You have to make a decision._

_Bond: I'll talk to him._

_Q: Good._

 

Mac resumes making biscuits and mushroom gravy for Dick. Just as she's finishing up, there's a knock on the glass door. Mac crosses through the living room to let Dick in. He looks slightly uncomfortable once he's inside. Mac hesitates, then reaches up and pulls him into a prolonged hug. He relaxes in her arms as he draws her closer. Dick kisses the top of Mac's head. He blinks away the emotion welling in his eyes before releasing her.

"You okay?" she asks looking into his face, clearly trying to read him.

"Just relieved yesterday is over," Dick smiles sadly.

"All 1950's women's magazines tout food's comforting properties," Mac says dryly, smile playing about the corner of her lips.

"Those Bettys were on to something," Dick says, "Minus the barbiturate addictions." He's rewarded with a wide grin.

"Whoa!" Dick exclaims, moving into the kitchen. "Have you been hiding serious ninja cuisine skills? This cannot be veg-friendly."

"One hundred percent animal product free," she smirks.

"Okay, this must be eaten like now," he decrees, grabbing the plate.

 

After Dick scarfs down the delicious breakfast, Mac gently leads him into telling how his previous day had been spent. It's hard at first but there's something healing about sharing it with her. It leads into a deeper conversation about growing up Casablancas.

"It's a little weird to talk to someone about all of this," Dick says.

"Hey," Mac starts, "thanks for trying. I know this relationship stuff isn't what you're used to."

"I've never had anyone care enough about me to really try for something real," Dick responds. "Thanks for being there for me with all the stuff with my dad this summer."

"We were friends," Mac shrugs off.

"No," Dick insists, "09er friendships do not include helping you through family trauma. Just drunken escape."

Mac looks away, internally debating how it would feel talking about the Sinclairs with him.

"Looks like Logan has incoming," Dick gestures toward the balcony.

"We should clear out," Mac suggests, standing up. The pair head out.

 

Logan drops his head back dramatically, staring at the ceiling. He's sitting on the living room couch, Communication Criticism textbook and notebook spread out in from of him. He goes back to the assignment. Veronica walks in the open balcony entrance, pausing at his door. Logan looks up through his eyelashes. Veronica takes a deep breath.

"Logan, there are somethings I don't know where they're going to land. But…" she hesitates. He gives her room to gather herself. "I just," she says, "I'm sorry. I am who I am, but you deserve me to try to be more than that." "Veronica," he starts to get up. Veronica interrupts, stopping his advancement. "I can't, I just can't have you say anything right now. I," she gathers her courage, eyes closed, "I love you. Please just know that."

Before Logan can recover, she's gone.

 

"Show you off on the quad?" Dick offers when they climb out of his jeep on Hearst campus.

Mac raises her eyebrow. "Girlfriend to property  _that_  fast?"

"That is the first time you have called yourself that," Dick beams. Mac looks self-conscious. "I tell people you are all the time but you have never actually called yourself my girlfriend before," he says with a laugh.

Her embarrassment melts into a pleased expression. They entwine hands and begin strolling about. Dick oblivious to the serious side-eye he's catching from a few of the Hearst ladies.

"What do you think is going on with Ronnie and Logan?" Dick asks after a bit.

"I don't know," Mac answers, "I honestly don't think either one of them ever knows."

"There is something beautiful about how they crash into each other though. Like an epic wave," Dick remarks, "I just wish she didn't leave him so shredded at the end." Mac remains silent, unable to agree or defend. She understands both sides a bit.

 

A couple hours later the couple make their way home.

"Ronnie bomb drop?" Dick asks cautiously as he approaches his friend sitting on the sand.

When Logan doesn't answer, Dick joins him as Logan looks out over the water. They stay in that silence. Dick notices the lack of storm over his friend, seeing instead a peace that has rarely existed in Logan Echolls' face.

"You know I am lacking Miss Sophie level mind-reading right?" Dick prods after a bit. Logan turns to him then.

"I don't know Dick, I question that sometimes," Logan smirks. The smirk is there but there's a quiet joy visible behind it.

Logan stands up. Dick follows suit.

"Food?" Logan questions.

"I could tear into some meat," Dick shrugs. Logan lifts a brow. "Hey, just because I'm dating a veggie lover doesn't mean I have to abstain," Dick responds to the non-verbal query. Logan scoffs. Dick rolls his eyes. "Like you've never curbed some aspects of your preferences to be with someone," he says, "spent any summer's chick free lately?"

And there it is again, that peaceful smile on Logan's face. Dick's face softens in response. He wishes his friend more of that after everything that has happened in their lives.

 

Sitting in front of a screen filled with code, Mac hears the front door close. She locks the computer and heads to Veronica's room. Mac needs to clear the air after what she realizes could be perceived as a judgmental text exchange. She rounds the corner to Veronica hastily throwing clothes and supplies into a duffel bag.

"Last minute scout jamboree?" she asks with intentional lightness. Veronica looks up with a caught expression. Mac's face switches into a concerned expression.

"Can we agree to that story?" Veronica suggests.

Mac raises both eyebrows.  "Story?" she repeats.

"I might be gone a few days," Veronica states. "Just don't let anyone get worried about me, okay?"

"He'll worry," Mac responds, cutting through the implied meaning.

"He would worry more if he knew I was working on a case," Veronica says. She moves to leave, but last minute, turns and hugs Mac.

"Be safe, Bond."


	12. Chapter 12

Tuesday is another example of Southern California's well-earned paradise status.

"Dude, what is with you?" Dick asks Logan as they walk out into the quad after class. Logan doesn't slow down. He seems happily preoccupied. "Logan," Dick tries again. His friend spins around and walks backward.

"Today may just been the brightest this gritty town has ever been," Logan dramatically raises his arms in exclamation.  In the process he bumps into Piz, knocking the books out of his arms. The shaggy haired Oregonian looks irritated if a bit nervous. "Sorry, about that  _Stosh._ " Logan quickly gathers the fallen items, smile never leaving his face. Logan continues on. Dick glances back at a confused Piz.

"Okay, today's level of weirdness just went up about ten degrees," Dick voices his bewilderment. "You know that was Veronica's ex-bedroom buddy right?" Logan's light barely dims.

"We are focusing on the 'ex' there." Logan hops on a low wall on the opposite side of their divergent path. "Jump on board Dick. Today is all cresting waves and off-shore winds." With that they split course, off to their different classes.

 

"Where's Logan?" Mac settles down next to Dick on the edge of the balcony.

"Probably out handing flowers to people at the airport," he answers, silently offering her a drink.

"What?" Mac asks as she holds up her hand to decline the beverage.

"I don't know he was all ridiculous smiles and optimistic quotes this morning," Dick responds. "Ronnie, say anything about him lately?" Mac looks subtly conflicted.

"Nothing definitive," she settles on. She looks out at the orange and pink clouds hovering over the ocean. Dick puts his arm around her. She lets out a breath and rests her head on his shoulder. "Thanks Dick," Mac says.

"For what Mackie?"

"I just really like coming back to you at the end of the day," she replies. Dick smiles wide, he dips down and gently kisses the top of her head. He looks like he might starts passing out flowers to travelers as well.

 

After another full morning of classes, Mac walks onto the balcony where Logan and Dick are talking. She pulls out her phone.

_Q: You haven't checked in for a couple of days, Bond. Is everything okay?_

"What can an eternity of damnation matter to someone who has felt, if only for a second, the infinity of delight?" Logan walks off with a dreamy smile.

"See?" Dick gestures toward the kitchen where Logan has disappeared.  "Weird."

"What happened to not getting involved?" Mac inquires with a small grin joining him.

"When have I  _ever_  been known to keep my thoughts to myself?" Dick replies.

"Yeah, well," Mac replies, "think you can keep some of your more non-family friendly thoughts to yourself Friday?"

"Can? Yes. Will?" Dick makes a ridiculous face as he pretends to ponder. Mac rolls her eyes with a laugh.

"My family may not be the population segment you're looking for." Dick's demeanor changes instantly.

"Your family, huh?" he asks, nervousness leaching into his tone. Mac looks confused before recovering.

"Yeah, my family is having a cook out. And, uh, I wanted you to come with me." Logan coming back over, catches the brief look of panic in Dick's eyes.

"Assuming the engraved invitation is in the mail, we'd love to come," Logan answers, subtly flicking Dick.

"Yeah. Cook out," Dick nods in agreement.

"Alright," Mac looks at them both with a suspicious eye. "I have another class. I just stopped by to grab a book. I'll see you two later."

 

The door closes behind Mac.

"Dude! What was that?" Dick rubs the back of his injured arm.

"That was me having your back," Logan voices in a serious tone. "You were completely freezing up over the parent stuff."

"Her parents hate me 'cause of Cassidy," Dick responds despondently. "And please don't answer with some vague quote by some old guy. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to lose Mac."

"Fair enough," Logan states, settling into a chair. Dick hops on the ledge to sit. "So, have you seen them since they showed up here?" Logan inquires.

"No," Dick states firmly, "Kinda hoping to avoid it."

"You thought you could avoid your girlfriend's parents?"

"I don't know. She's never met mine."

"Dick, your dad is in federal prison and your mom is in Europe half the time. Unless," Logan says with a pause. "Unless you're trying to wind things down with her."

"What?! No!" Dick hops down from the ledge almost in emphasis.

"Then that means you have to get comfortable with the family stuff. Or at least fake it." Logan states. Dick nods his head processing.

 

Thursday comes and still no word from Veronica. Mac reasons internally that Veronica knows what she's doing. This was hardly her first dangerous case. Sitting down in class, she grabs her phone from her bag.

_Q: I'm starting to ponder if I should acquire a government drone to track you down. I've always wanted to use one._

Mac stares down at her phone willing it to respond. She shuts it off quickly as her professor begins addressing the class regarding polymorphism in relation to object-oriented design.

 

When Logan and Dick walk up to the Mackenzies' front door Friday the latter is just barely holding his nerves at bay. He reaches out and knocks, mentally preparing himself for judging eyes. Instead, the door is opened by a blonde boy with a friendly smile.

"You Cindy's boyfriend?" Ryan asks Logan. Logan points a finger at Dick. Ryan shifts his focus entirely to Dick. "Cindy told me you like Ultimate Alliance," Ryan seems to state rather than asks.

Dick nods surprised Mac's told her little brother anything about him.

"Come in, let's humiliate you," the boy says with a mischievous grin.

 

The tall surfer follows his confident opponent. While Logan makes his way toward the backyard. He pauses at a series of framed pictures of Mac and her family. In the candid photos and family portraits Logan sees the love between Mac and her parents. His eyes soften when they land on a picture of Mac and Natalie, the older woman is laughing in front of green tent. He sighs before turning away. Mac comes meets his as soon as he exits the back door.

"Did Dick…?" she half asks, clearly anxious.

"Kidnapped by a superhero fan," Logan smirks. "Your little brother busted out the video games as soon as we got here."

"Okay," Mac lets out a deep breath. "Can you distract me? I feel bizarrely nervous."

After a few minutes of mindless chitchat, they've fallen into silence.

"So…" Logan starts hesitantly, hands in his pocket, toeing the dirt.

"So?" Mac responds. She'd hoped she could avoid having to obfuscate Veronica's whereabouts for a couple more days. Hoped it wouldn't be needed.

"She really thinks she can run off after that," Logan laughs and lifts his eyebrows. "I guess that sounds about right." Logan's expression is more amused that depressed. Mac frown-smiles at her friend. Mrs. Mackenzie walks over.

"Cindy, would you mind helping me grab more meat from the garage fridge. Your father never grabs enough," she asks.

"Here, let me help," Logan offers quickly. Mac's mother looks at him surprised for a brief moment.

"That would be really helpful," she responds. Logan gives her a small smile before they walk off together.

Mac pulls out her phone and shoots off a quick text.

_Q: I'm starting to get seriously worried Veronica. Call me back or I'll have to call someone soon._

Mac looks up as her dad makes his way over with Dick. Neither look completely at ease but there's an absence of overt tension that Mac finds promising.

"I found your friend being subjected to your brother's trash talk inside," Mr. Mackenzie tells Mac. "Thought I'd deliver him to you."

"Thanks," Mac smiles at her dad. He nods before heading off to man the grill. Dick smiles at her, relaxing just a little bit more.

 

Logan and the older blonde make their way into the garage. She opens the old off-white fridge door and begins to load Logan's arms with various type of meat.

"Thank you for helping. Stuff like this is a bit much for Cindy," Mrs. Mackenzie says in a friendly tone.

"It's fine. My mom went through a pretty serious vegetarian phase when I was a kid. She wouldn't even let us have it around her," Logan responds. His eyes have become noticeably misty. "I don't…I'm sorry, Mrs. Mackenzie," he says shaking his head a bit.

"You can call me Natalie, dear," Mrs. Mackenzie offers with a reassuring smile. "It's been two years since you lost her, right? How are you doing?" Logan takes a deep breath, glancing off at a corner to compose himself.

"I'm okay. I just don't…don't ever talk about her. To anyone." Mac's mother pats his arm in the motherly way he's only seen tv moms do. Logan gives a small smile.

"Where's the food?" Mac's younger brother, interrupts.

"We're coming honey," his mother answers. "Now grabs some more mustard." Moment over, Logan makes his way out to the backyard.

 

Saturday's mandatory therapy has Logan seated on a dark brown, low-backed chair.

"I think I am ready, uh, to talk about my mom today," Logan voices, staring at his shoes.

"Okay," the older man seated next to him responds. Though nervous to dive into the topic, Logan's body language clearly reflects the ease he's developed with the therapist over their numerous sessions. "What is your favourite memory of her?" The man inquires.

"I was," Logan pauses to recollect, "I don't know, maybe ten, my dad had been gone for a month shooting. She tried to take me camping, but she was off meat for some diet, so she'd had a chef friend in LA pack vegetarian meals for the weekend. By the time we'd finally figured out how to set up the tent and started the fire, we were both starving. She opens up the cooler and it's just filled with trendy purees and poached vegetables and some blob thing. She just laughed."  Logan sighs and smiles at the memory. "This perfect, happy laugh. We put out the fire and drove into town for massive burgers and fries. No mention of the diet for the rest of the trip." Logan finishes with a small tear escaping the corner of his eye. His head dips and they sit there in comforting silence.

 

Outside Logan is checking his phone. Still nothing from Veronica. Her absence was starting to concern him. More so as he considered his last conversation with her.

Wallace goes to walk by him.

"Hey, I know this is…" Logan starts, catching up, "have you heard from Veronica today?" Wallace gives him a lightly admonishing look.

"Look, I don't pretend to ever understand whatever it is between you guys, which is why I always steer clear," Wallace responds, then sighs. "But, she hasn't hit me back either." Logan looks more worried. "Hasn't she been at the house?" Wallace asks.

"I haven't seen her all week. I thought she was just taking space to process," the taller male replies.

"Girl doesn't just disappear for this long," Wallace frowns. "I'll hit up Weevil. I know she's been doing some stuff with him lately." Wallace turns away, pulling out his phone.

Wallace comes back, expression angry.

"What'd Weevs say?" Logan asks.

"His grandma says he'll be home from the  _hospital_  tomorrow," Wallace states. He pulls out his phone again. "V, you better have great excuse for ghosting me and it better not have  _anything_  to do with Weevil's stay in the hospital." Wallace hangs up and stares at the phone in his hand.

 

**Logan's quote about the infinity of delight comes from Charles Baudelaire: The Complete Verse


	13. Chapter 13

Dick is sitting on the Mackenzie's couch the day of the cookout. His tiny, fair-haired opponent wins another round in the game and begins to triumph as only little boys can. It's everything Dick can do to stop himself from indulging in memories of gaming with his own little brother. Becoming a blubbering mess is seriously not the impression he wants to make during his first invitation to hang with Mac's family. Dick shakes his head slightly and picks up the controller.

"I'm picking the game this time," Dick challenges.

"If you think that will help your chances," Ryan replies with a smug face before turning to the screen.

Dick's brows furrow, noticing something. The game begins and as anticipated the boy soundly defeats Dick. And there it is again. Something so bizarrely familiar in Mac's brother's self-satisfied face.

"You better not be working up an excuse for losing to a middle schooler." Ryan draws Dick from his scrutiny.

"What?" Dick responds having missed what had been said.

"I'm guessing Cindy didn't pick you for your gaming skills," Ryan predicts with a mischievous smile.

"Maybe next time you can tell me more about what  _Cindy_  likes," Dick laughs.

"Well, she definitely hates it when people call her that to start with," Ryan states.

"Except for family?" Dick asks.

"I have little brother privilege," Ryan smiles broadly. This time Dick manages to keep his expression neutral. The smile, the blonde hair—something was tugging at his mind to be recognized. "Okay, Cindy just got me this one for my birthday."  The boy pulls out another game. "Prepare to be owned!"

 

The trash talk has reached new heights midway through the new game when Mr. Mackenzie walks up behind the couch in his grilling apron.

"Kid destroying your last shred of dignity?" he directs at Dick. The shaggy haired blonde startles.

"Do we really have to shut it off?" the younger Mackenzie groans.

"Mackenzie cookout. Emphasis on the  _out_ ," his father answers with his face tilted forward but expression still friendly.

"I'm starving anyway." Ryan jumps up and runs off.

"You hungry?" Mr. Mackenzie turns to Dick, still on the couch.

"Yeah. Food would be good," Dick finds his voice, trying to suppress the ball of nervous energy hidden inside.

The older man nods and begins to walk out of the room. Dick follows through the connected dining room.

"So, how long have you and Cindy been…?" Mr. Mackenzie asks casually.

"About two months," Dick answers hesitantly. He isn't use to trying to make a good impression on anyone. People either liked the Dickster or they didn't. Unless they were a hot chick, that could warrant a little more effort.

"This summer you guys weren't…dating?" Mr. Mackenzie clarifies.

"No, we weren't exactly…friends before this summer," Dick replies. Mac's father is visibly relieved by the answer.

"So, this is newer?" he confirms.

"Yeah," Dick replies. Mr. Mackenzie nods. "Thanks for, uh, letting me and Logan come today Mr. Mackenzie."

"You can call me Sam," Mac's father inserts just before they reach Mac in the backyard.

 

* * *

 

Late Saturday morning amongst the books in the Hearst library, Mac is reflecting on what a non-disaster Dick's visit to her parents' place had been. Natalie hadn't exactly warmed up to him but her dad seemed a bit more comfortable with him. Ryan had embraced 'the boyfriend' wholly. Sometimes he could be a pestilence but he had emerged her hero last night. Her analysis is jarringly interrupted when her text alert goes off loudly in the quiet space. Trying to avoid eye contact with the stressed out looking student at the next table, she quickly pulls out her phone.

_Bond: Everything is fine Cindy. Don't worry Eli._

And there it is. Hearing from Veronica was supposed to assuage her worry, but the text had made it explode. Mac just keeps staring at it.  _Cindy Cindy Cindy._  It screams at her. Mac walks out of the library, no thought for her books spread out. Once outdoors she starts to call Veronica. Mac hangs up before the first ring. It Veronica could speak freely she would have called. Mac looks worriedly around, calculating her next move. Pulling the phone back up, she dials.

"Mars Investigations," comes the voice of the newly hired receptionist.

"Yes, I need to speak with Mr. Mars right now," Mac requests.

"Mr. Mars is not taking on any new cases this week," the woman responds.

"I'm not a client, I just need to speak with him regarding a private matter," Mac tries.

"They're all private matters. He's a  _private_  investigator," comes the voice rudely. Mac was beginning to see why Veronica had taken an instant dislike of the woman.

"It's about his daughter—" Mac starts.

"Then you can have her call his cell, he's out of state locating a bond jumper until Tuesday," the reception interrupts.

"No, she's not," Mac says before she realizes she's talking to dial tone. She stares indignantly at the phone for a moment before heading back to her table inside.

 

* * *

 

Seated once again, she starts up her laptop. Mars Investigation's home page pulls up on the screen. No red licorice is required for this hack as Mac had been hired in the Spring to set up the firewalls she is quickly jumping past. Mac collects Keith's cell number from an archived phone bill. When more files start to open unprompted, Mac realizes she is not the only one to have made their way illicitly into the Mars Investigation's records. She quickly switches gears to kick the intruder out. With Mac's expert knowledge and quick fingers, they have been expelled without accessing any sensitive documents. Mac re-enforces her existing security measures. Satisfied with her work, she packs up her study materials.

Sitting in her car, Mac calls the located cell number. 

_"_ _You've reached Keith Mars. I am out of range for the next couple of days. If this is Veronica, I left Backup with Wallace's mother."_

Mac hangs up and starts the car. As she drives, she reasons with herself that if Veronica could send a text she must not be in immediate danger. Yet.

 

* * *

 

Dick is the picture of surfer casual as he wanders out of his room having indulged in a late morning nap after an early morning surf. He listens as Wallace and Logan brainstorm where Veronica has disappeared to and how.

"Did anyone think to ask her dad? Aren't they tight or something?" All eyes turn to Dick.

"Actually, no," Wallace voices surprised at himself.

"Seems like an easy starting point. He'll be all 'she's run off to Canada with Piznarski.' Dude, I should  _really_  try my hand at this detective stuff," Dick says smugly.

Truthfully, he was just relieved no one was asking him about the last time he'd seen Veronica. Her warning about Mac's safety had not been forgotten.

"Can you…?" Logan turns to Wallace.

Wallace nods and pulls out his phone. Wallace moves onto the balcony to call. Dick looks at Logan's still worried face.

"Man, lighten up. I'm sure she's just off Nancy Drewing it."

"That's what worries me, Dick. I know she can handle herself, I do know that, but when things get really dangerous she still tries to go it alone."

"Voicemail," Wallace interrupts coming back inside.

"Mr. Mars is chasing down a ball jumper," Mac walks through the open balcony door. All six eyes pivot to her. "I checked with his new assistant this morning. He's been out of contact for a couple days. They expect him back in a couple days." Dick has a proud smile, which quickly changes at Mac's next words. "I should probably go talk to Eli," she mentions.

Dick jumps up, "I got it."

"Got what?" Logan asks.

"I'll go to Weevil's place," Dick responds.

"No offense man, but do you even know how to get to the 02?" Wallace questions. Dick gives him an offended look before noticing everyone seems to share the thought.

"I found Ronnie's place just fine last year. I didn't drive into the ocean or anything," he finishes sarcastically.

"Alright, we'll talk to Eli," Mac settles.

"No!" Dick panics. He doesn't know the details but whatever Ronnie had been working on before had definitely spelled out Mackie getting hurt. "I mean, I think I should take Wally." Dick hops up and out the door with Wallace following confused behind.

"So that was weird, right?" Mac postulates with a frown at the closed door.

"Weird is relative when it comes to Dick," Logan replies lightly. Mac doesn't seem satisfied with the answer.

 

Dick and Wallace come back through the door a minute later. Mac looks up at them puzzled.

"Wallace says he's not home yet," Dick offers sheepishly.

"Alright, our girl would sort through the facts," Wallace proclaims once everyone is settled in the living room. "When is the last time you saw Veronica?"

"Monday," Logan offers.

"Same," Mac agrees.

"I saw her over the weekend," Wallace continues, "Anything seem off then?"

"She told me some stuff was going on but didn't expound," Logan adds. Mac looks down at her hands.

"She told me she had some stuff to take care of and would be gone for a couple of day." Logan's head shoots Mac's way, focus intense.

"And you didn't  _say_  anything?"

"Veronica asked me not to say anything," Mac voices meeting his eyes squarely. Logan looks away, seemingly trying to decide how to feel about it.

"What about you, Dick?" Wallace asks.

" _Me?_ " Dick tries to deflect.

"I saw a photo of a dead body slip out of her bag about two months ago," Logan states. Focus has shifted to Dick's relief. "When I asked her about it she got cagey and lied about it."

"If we're going that far back," Mac starts, "I walked up to her ending a tense conversation with Nish right after she got back. And mysterious calls since then."

"Nish…from the newspaper?" Wallace asks, "From Lilith House?" 

Dick's face pales. Logan drops his head against the couch back.

"The fire, it wasn't an accident," Wallace realizes. "V, where  _are_  you, girl?"


	14. Chapter 14

A loud knock interrupts the silence that's fallen. Mac moves across the guys' living room. The opened door reveals a casted and supremely bruised Weevil.

"What house fell on you?" Dick asks artlessly.  Weevil ignores the surfer, focusing entirely on Mac.

"You summoned?" he asks her.

"Eli, you should still be in the hospital!"  She walks him into the room.

"It's just a couple cracked ribs," Weevil replies dismissively, "I knew where I needed to be when I got your message. V really text you not to worry me? She said  _that_  specifically?" Weevil tilts his head down looking for confirmation.

"You've heard from Veronica?! What the  _hell_ , Mac?" Logan emphasizes his disbelief with dramatic movement of his hands.

"Seriously, rich boy? I don't remember you being V's emergency contact."

"Where is she?" Logan demands.

"What? Didn't your  _boyfriend_  give you enough details from his high-speed taxi service Monday?" Weevil challenges. Seeing his arrow land, Weevil drops his head and gives a small chuckle of disbelief. No one ever knew the full story with Blondie. Least of all this clown.

The former PCH'er was no longer the focus however. Dick looks between Logan and Mac, not sure where to start.

"Mac, she said if I told you—" Dick attempts to explain.

"That doesn't matter right now. We just need to find Veronica," Mac states dispassionately. Dick, however, doesn't miss the restrained anger behind her blue eyes.

"What happened Monday?" Wallace asks, the most in control at present. Dick glances around the room not finding a friendly face anywhere. He clears his throat awkwardly.

"I saw Ronnie at the, uh, cemetery Monday morning. She was talking to some super serious dude. He was straight out of some black and white movie."

"Then what happened?" Wallace prompts him.

"She sees me on her way out. Something freaks her. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in her dinky SUV as it's breaking the sound barrier, 'til she stops at dog beach."

"Anything else?" Mac queries, anger set aside for the moment.

"Like, I don't know," Logan interjects exasperatedly, "who she was meeting at  _dawn_  in a graveyard?"  Dick shakes his head, trying to remember something helpful.

"He was very Maltese Falcon, trench coat and fedora. The whole thing," he offers. "And familiar but I just, just can't remember from where."

The description doesn't mean anything to Weevil or Mac but it seems to click something for Logan. Striding gracefully out of the room, he returns a moment later with an old photo box. Everyone watches as he scrambles through the pictures inside.

"Is that him?" Logan whips out a picture of himself and Duncan Kane laughing freshman year.

"Donut?" Dick asks confused. Frustrated, Logan points to a stoic figure watching in the background. "Yeah," Dick nods looking closer, "that's him."

"Who is that?" Wallace says glancing over Dick's shoulder.

"Clarence Weidman. He was the head of security for Kane Software. Still is, I think." Logan answers, unsure of what it means.  There is no missing Mac's paling face as she looks to Weevil. The former PCH leader's own face is ashen making his own mental connection to the hacked files last spring.

"Was she working messing with The Castle again?" Mac turns to Weevil, honestly frightened of the answer.

"The Castle?!" Wallace freaks.

"What's The Castle?" Dick tries to understand.

"The Castle is a  _secret society_  that thinks electric shock is a fun rite of passage," Wallace answers angrily, "I thought she dropped all that after she found out who made the tape of her and Piz?"

"She may have  _taken_  something from The Castle in her quest for vengeance," Mac answers hesitantly.

"What do a couple of frat boys with a kink for coffins have to with a billion-dollar company?" Weevil questions.

"The Castle is more than that," Mac states, "We found a list of members, very powerful men, and…their secrets."

"Any takers on why she met with Nish?" Logan starts with angry sarcasm. He turns away to look out the backdoor.  Mac's laptop pings. She walks across the room swiftly, leaning over and clicking some keys.

"Okay, I have her location."

"Computer judo saves the day again," Dick voices, relieved. The look Mac shoots him over her shoulder is searing. Anger back it would seem.

"I'll get into the camera feed inside," Mac directs at Wallace, "see if we can get eyes on our intrepid investigator." 

Everyone waits tensely as Mac tries to hack in. Weevil plops on a chair, while Logan fidgets by the glass door. Dick just tries not to make eye contact with anyone.  

"Okay," Mac finally begins, "I can't get in from here. Looks like I have to be within close range. But this has to be it. The firewalls are too similar to the ones from The Castle's hard-drive not to be."

"Where's the signal coming from?" Wallace asks.

After a few more keystrokes, Mac pulls the image up and turns her computer to face everyone. Weevil gets up to take a closer look.

"That's the warehouse V and I were checking out when I got the makeover."  Weevil gestures to his injuries.

"So…she's there?" Logan confirms, pulling up to his full height.  Mac pauses a moment, calculating.

"Yes."

"We have to get her out and soon. I may have a plan," Wallace states without elaborating.

"Tick tick, losing interest," Logan prompts with raised brows.

 

Wallace lays out a simple plan: Mac pulls out her best hacking moves in a nearby van, Weevil and some 'friends' create a distraction after Logan gets eyes on Veronica. After that it's pretty much relying on pixie detective magic. Which, surprisingly they all trust. They can't risk Wallace's face being recognized, so Mac suggests he keep a car in back to drive off with Veronica and Logan once they're out. The plan does seem to rest a good deal on Logan being able to get to Veronica once inside.

"Sorry if I don't trust a guy whose women keep coming up with unexplained bruises." Weevil glares at Logan.

"I've  _never_  laid a hand on Veronica!" Logan's face full of fury.

"I think that's because she'd taze your privileged, white neck if you ever tried," Weevil shoots back.

"Dude, I think he means Lily," Dick informs, leaning slightly toward Logan. Logan breaks his glaring contest with Weevil as he looks to his friend. "I saw bruises on her a couple of times at the beach." Dick shrugs. "I didn't think about it too much back then."  Logan's shoulders slump as he turns back to Weevil.

"You think I hit her, think I…hurt her." Logan's voice is a shade too quiet as he shrinks onto a nearby footstool. Some of the fight seems to drain out of Weevil as well.  Wallace makes eye contact with Mac before gesturing his head toward the door. Mac, Wallace and Dick slip out quietly.

"I think," Weevil starts calmly, if a bit bitter, "that the girl I loved was always running back to you whenever you crooked a finger at her."  Logan lets out a humorless laugh.

"I think," he replies, "that the girl I loved did whatever she wanted. She was…a whirlwind. It's what made her seem so alive." Silence fills the room for a few minutes, almost reverent for the ghost of Lily Kane.  After covertly swiping a bit of moisture from his eye, Weevil turns back to Logan.

"You never laid a hand on Lily?" he confirms.

"I don't know if it was my dad or someone else, but I promise I never hurt her." Logan answers looking up at Weevil. A nod of acknowledgement follows.

  

* * *

 

Parking across from a sketchy looking warehouse, Dick joins Mac in the backseat of the van. He opens his mouth as the computer virtuoso grabbed her instrument.

"No," Mac cuts him off, opening her laptop.

"No?" Dick parrots, confused.

"We're not going to get into why you didn't tell me or why I should understand."  Mac takes a breath and begins to type.  "Right now, I'm going to get into the security cameras inside and  _you_ , you are going to stare at that door to make sure no one interrupts me."

Dick nods mutely.  A short while later, Mac whips out her phone.

"Logan, she's on the second floor."  She goes on to relay the easiest way inside and some other important details. She makes a similar call to Weevil.

 

* * *

 

Logan's eyes scan the floor above. He can see her, slowly creeping along a wall, cloaked in shadow. A sound draws his focus, when he looks back he's lost her.

 

* * *

 

A small, mischievous smile graces Veronica's lips at the sounds of the PCH motorcycle club outside.

"Think you might want to let go now, Erikson."  The suited man holding her upper arm makes the mistake of glancing at the entrance.  Veronica quickly retrieves Mr. Sparky from inside his jacket before sending him to his knees.  She grabs a jump drive off a nearby table before making for a set of stairs. The sound of men rushing up, however, stops her.

" _Veronica_!" Logan whispers loudly. She moves to him swiftly, a look of confusion on her face. Just then, the noise below amplifies as the PCH'ers make their way in and begin trashing the file cabinets below. The pair race away from the action.  Veronica whips out her recently recovered cellphone.

"Wiedman, I have it," she whispers into it. Barely waiting for a reply, she hangs up.

 

* * *

 

 "Okay, Logan's with Veronica." Mac relays to Weevil before hanging up. Relieved, she sighs, relaxing.

"Chick has a serious cat lives thing going for her," Dick says unwinding a bit as well.

 

* * *

 

Inside the building, Logan's mind is reeling trying to figure out why Veronica called Clarence Wiedman. What's on the jump drive. It dawns on him that whatever is going on isn't over. No rescuing the girl and riding off into the sunset. He mentally scoffs at his ridiculous fantasy. That's not who they were. His bobcat wasn't ready for sunsets and happily ever afters. But then, that was part of her and he loves her.

Logan hides them in a dim hallway before looking down and tugging at his sleeves. He looks up at her through his lashes. Veronica's eyes have found their way back to Logan.  She's not coming with them.  He knows it in his soul. His brown eyes, a reflection of his mix of emotions.  Veronica looks up at him, conflicted. Logan gives her a sad smile and a nod goodbye.  Veronica glances away to check the safety of their position. She draws close to him, visually measuring Logan with her equally expressive eyes. Veronica reaches up to him. Their lips meeting longingly. When they part there are tears on Veronica's cheeks. Veronica squeezes her eyes shut, her forehead resting against Logan's.

"I guess epic will have to wait," she breathes.  Logan's expression registers the now remembered reference.

"Make it less than a decade please," he pulls back, kissing her forehead and holding her one more time.

A loud sound rings out. Weevil's distraction is finishing up it would seem. Veronica looks at Logan before disappearing out the now unattended side door.

 

* * *

 

Mac waits impatiently as the men inside flood out the building chasing the motorcycles.

"Watch this," she directs Dick firmly, getting up.  Dick's apologetic eyes follow her as she slides the van door shut.

Mac makes her way to where she last saw Veronica and Logan. But the petite blonde is no where to be seen. Logan's leaning heavily into the wall he's standing in front of.  Eyes on the ceiling and hands in his pockets, he doesn't seem panicked. Just…something. Something new, an odd mix of pain and peace.

"They're gone." Mac approaches Logan slowly.  He nods, eyes going to the floor before flicking over to Mac. She reads the resignation there.

"She left," Logan states, before letting out a long-held breath. "She'll be back when she's done," he seems to promise himself.  Mac nods, processing everything that's happened.

"Why?" she finally asks.

"For more bloodshed and ruined lives it seems." Logan smirks, it doesn't cover the tear that escapes though.

"Yo, where's V?" Weevil interrupts, coming down the hallway. "We managed to lead those guys out of Neptune but they'll be back for her if we don't figure something out."  Wallace walks through the door the blonde detective had exited not ten minutes before.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Wallace informs, glancing around those assembled. "Veronica just left town…with the FBI."


	15. Chapter 15

[Day of the Lilith House Fire]

Pounding on the door, Veronica is growing increasingly more frustrated. A crash sounds out. Veronica climbs on the air conditioning unit to peer in the window. She sees smoke curling out of the next room. She fumbles for her phone but it falls into a large puddle by the garden hose. Bizarrely large and growing. No one accidentally leaves a hose on full pressure like this. Veronica now notices the almost moat like pool surrounding at least this side of Lilith House. The petite blonde hurries down and starts picking the lock, desperate to retrieve what's inside.

**_Veronica Voiceover: Dad never knew how important those lessons would become to his sweet 10-year-old._ **

Veronica rounds the corner into the living room. The smoke is billowing up the side of the wall to the ceiling. Atop a coffee table lies a laptop, worn copies of The Woman Warrior and The Feminine Mystique along with whatever papers the flames are dancing through. They jump to the edge of a throw blanket and quickly spread to the grey upholstered couch. Veronica stands there frozen. Paralyzed by her memories of being locked in the freezer as Aaron lit it on fire. To suffocate or burn her alive. Veronica and her father had barely survived.

There's a jingle of keys, and suddenly the former Hearst newspaper editor is there, cursing and reaching for the compromised laptop.

"Stop!" Veronica halts her, "It's spreading too quickly. There must be a chemical accelerant."

"It has all the proof Veronica!" Nish objects, "Everything I have worked for, everything you found on The Castle!"

The blaze has now spread to the nearby bookshelf and bar cart. The way the rest of the room turns into an inferno makes it clear to Veronica that the arson was carefully planned.

"We have to go  _now_  Nish!" Veronica says firmly.  Nish shakes her head.

"Not without this," she states resolutely, "they already took the jumpdrive."  Reaching for the piece of plastic elicits a cry from Nish as her hands and wrists are burned. Veronica grabs the taller woman's arm and half drags her out.

Fire engines pull up moments later, a passerby having spotted the flames a few minutes prior. EMTs quickly load Nish into an ambulance. A small crowd begins to gather.  Veronica's mind wonders back to spring freshman year.

 

_[FLASHBACK]_

VERONICA: Hey, Nish. I've got a present for you.

NISH: You're transferring?

VERONICA: A list. The names of every member of the Castle. All men. You think this will help with that lawsuit?

NISH: Oh, my God. Politicians. Tycoons. Celebrities. This is gold. You're gonna make some very powerful men very unhappy.

VERONICA: Won't be the first time.

_[END FLASHBACK]_

 

Soot covered, Veronica stands staring at the burning remains of Lilith House.

**_Veronica Voiceover: Oh Veronica, will you ever learn?_ **


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please have patience with the odd time jumps as I pull back the curtain a bit.

[End of summer – Quantico]

**_Veronica Voiceover: When I cost my dad the Sheriff's race and Logan glued a target to his back for the Russian mob, I knew I had to leave Neptune behind._ **

Other FBI summer interns move pass Veronica, heading into an end of summer meet and greet with active agents. Possible future mentors. Veronica's focus is elsewhere as she slowly makes her way in, cellphone pressing against her ear.

_"Veronica, just wanted to check when you're coming home. You_ are _still planning on coming back? Give your poor father a callback sooner than next week. Let's just say bygones and get back to normal…I miss you, kid,"_ Keith's voicemail finishes.

**_Veronica Voiceover: Bygones can hardly cover months of being nearly incommunicado._ **

 

Veronica closes her phone and looks up. Her expression of guilt quickly transforms into surprise. Across the room, standing tall is Clarence Wiedman, head of security for Kane Software. He's clearly calculating her reaction to him. Suddenly she's being introduced to him like a stranger by the head of the college intern program.

"Wiedman here is one of the Bureau's best undercover specialists. He wanted to meet our best intern this year," the woman directs at Veronica with a smile before heading off to connect more interns to agents.

"I trust you will make no mention of any past unofficial business," Wiedman states in his ever present calm voice.

"Unofficial business? That's what you're calling it?" Veronica retorts with a challenging brow.

"I never meant for your mother to leave town," Wiedman responds, "I simply needed her to discontinue her affair with Mr. Kane. She had become too great a distraction."

**_Veronica Voiceover: Because_ ** **that's _the only suspect thing you seem to be connected to…_**

"I, however, have a different matter to discuss with you…" he continues.

 

* * *

 

 

All the interns are engrossed in their own private q & a's around the room. Veronica finds herself in a very different type of conversation.

"Undercover. For how long?" Veronica shifts her weight as she tries to process the information she's being given.

"The Bureau tapped me a couple of years ago after I was already well established at Kane Software. It would seem my private sector position after leaving the FBI was unique." Veronica gives him a disbelieving look. "A  _situation_  like this takes a significant time to explore."

"A situation like what?" Veronica questions suspiciously. Clarence Wiedman raises a brow. Realization clicks behind Veronica's eyes. The Castle.

"You are well aware of The Castle's pervasive reach. I have to date been able to limit any suspicion of surveillance. But it seems I have come upon a challenge that you are particularly well suited to disrupt, Miss Mars."

"You want to hire me for the FBI?" Veronica forgets to cover her honest surprise.

"Years of carefully building a case may be lost right as we are about to file in federal court," Wiedman explains, "we need you to retrieve a jump drive."

"Maybe I misunderstood this whole summer, but isn't this one of the things the FBI has agents for?" Veronica queries.

"There is no way of going through official channels without raising red flags. You have a preexisting connection to Nish Sweeney. It seems she is pursuing her own investigation that may bring down our own."

"I…wasn't planning on going back to Neptune," Veronica voices for the first time, glancing away.

"Get the evidence from Nish without making known the Bureau's interest and you can write your own ticket here after graduation," the tall man finishes with a measured look, "Here's my number in town."  He hands her a card. "I leave for the West Coast tomorrow."

Returning the ever-present fedora to its rightful place, Clarence Wiedman is out the door, leaving Veronica processing his unexpected offer.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my first fic! I have been posting this over on another site but wanted to share with this community as well.


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